The artist’s digital manipulations of larger-than-life creatures give voice to a seemingly dystopian reality than the one we are currently experiencing.
Portraying everyday urban environments overthrown by pigeons, racoons or sea-life presents an eerily surreal parallel universe where human civilisation is no longer in power.
As we collectively settle into a ‘new normal’ in 2020 from raging
natural disasters to a sweeping pandemic, Solovyov’s fantastical compositions
remain a thought provoking concept.
Solovyov has shared with publications that he began this conceptually dystopian series as a way to explore strange events in his reality.
For example the colossal sized raccoon making it’s way to the embankment to perhaps rinse itself, references the need for washing and sanitising our hands to help present the spread of COVID-19.
Contemporary artist PunkMeTender is most recognised for his bold and instinctual artwork and installations adorning the walls of Miami Art Basel, the Kardashian’s and many LA streets.
Via PunkMeTender
Originally hailing from France, PunkMeTender came to Los Angeles to pursue his passion for art and experimentation. With creativity sewn into his family lineage, PunkMeTender says that he,
“Found painting as a form of therapy and a way to express his emotions.”
PunkMeTender
Via PunkMeTender
The artist’s style and work is constantly evolving, drawing nuances and elements from street art, graffiti, photography and the female form.
Via PunkMeTender
PunkMeTender’s instinctual approach to his work means he can break the rules as he pleases, reflected in his moniker. Adding to the mystique of his work, PunkMeTender stays anonymous to maintain his freedom and express himself creatively without restraint.
Via PunkMeTender at Content Art Fair Miami
His artworks range from large-scale 3D murals to smaller fine art objects and private celebrity commissions. Recurring motifs include his use of butterflies and plexiglass exploring evolution and an untouchable desire.
Via PunkMeTender for Kylie Cosmetics
Via PunkMeTender
PunkMeTender cites his artistic inspiration stemming from; Yves Klein for his minimalism, Damien Hirst for his ingenuity, Jean Paul Gaultier for his creativity and Alexander McQueen for his emotive creations and out of the box visions.
Via PunkMeTender
It’s evident that through his work, PunkMeTender explores the intersection of street art, fashion and female sensuality while honing in on the natural desires of human kind. His work has a passionate and enigmatic energy communicated through his use of bold colours and beautiful dimensions.
Via PunkMeTender
He states that, “the secret is to have the ability to find weaknesses in your own work and to dig those pain points out before anyone else.”
Jerkface
Via PunkMeTender
We asked PunkMeTender a few questions about his career trajectory and advice…
Who are you and what do you do? I am PunkMeTender, and I am
an artist.
Your work often features butterflies,
representing transformation and new beginnings. How has your work evolved and
changed over time? My work is
constantly evolving; I compare it to a study. My artwork in an endless
study, but the scale of the evolution becomes more and more refined.
Has there been a defining moment or
project in your career to date? The
day I landed my feet in Los Angeles, I knew it was my city, a city of
angels.
Does the scale of a project ever intimidate
you? Not at all, I’m usually the
one to push projects to a bigger scale and to their limits.
What is your dream project? My dream project is to curate and design a haute
couture fashion show at Paris Fashion Week.
What are you currently working on? Currently, I am working on spinning paintings. I’m
studying the connection between the feelings of layering the paint and the
mécanique of spin that has no feelings.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve
been given? If you don’t go
forward, then you stay still.
What advice would you give to your
younger self? Keep fucking up.
How would you describe your work in
three words? Real, Aesthetic,
dimensional
Colombian artist Gleo has made a name for herself outside of her hometown of Cali (Colombia) on the street art scene globally.
Growing up in a small tropical city of the Colombian Pacific, Gleo also known as Natalia Gallego, has found freedom in painting walls since she was fifteen as a form of self expression and political participation.
Gleo often recites her purpose for painting walls, streets or public spaces as a reflection of their accessibility and universal ownership. Gleo explains that the “word ‘public’ is very complex, this space belongs to everyone and no one.”
Gleo, 2019
In recent years Gleo’s work has featured masked mystical beings and creatures often symbolising Latin American mythologies or cosmology. Her work captures these creatures in dream-like state through colour and the objects adorning them.
Gleo, 2017
She cites that we often “dress up and put on a mask, trying to transcend a higher self.” It is true, that Gleo perfectly captures the perceived demigod state of mind in her work on a large scale.
Gleo, 2019
A common thread between her past work includes historical objects or talismans as she draws inspiration from periods of antiquity and ancestral cultures. Her characters appearing transcendent in nature exude a sense of knowledge and spiritual power.
Gleo, 2019
When commenting on the lifespan of each murals, Gleo goes back to the public ownership of each space and therefore it’s preservation is dependent on the inhabitants. With some murals lasting days, months or years, many street artists can agree that the fate of each piece is out of their individual control.
Gleo’s enchanting, captivating and colourful murals have taken over walls worldwide from Colombia to Peru and across Europe. As a prominent female Latin American artist, the world has fallen in love with Gleo’s blended composition of cross-cultural iconography and warm theatrical renderings.
