New piece in Phoenix on "Calle 16"

I was in Phoenix recently and painted a little something on the side of a new artspace called Por Vida Gallery (right next to the infamous Barrio Cafe on 16th street). My good friends Pablo Luna, Lalo Cota & Breeze Marcus just got the space recently and should be opening it soon. The portrait is based on a photo of the homie Chee from LA, though it could represent a lot of different folks.

Breeze said something about this mural that perfectly explains one of the reasons I love painting for the public so much:

"What I like best about this piece is there are a dozen dudes walking around this neighborhood that look just like this painting, and they all think its them. This piece now belongs to that community, and they appreciate it and respect. That's the most important thing."

As an example, below is a shot of "O.G." who lives nearby and does share a resemblance, if maybe a little older. He came through a couple times and expressed his support.

New EL MAC video from Barcelona

Here's a classy new video documenting the mural I painted recently at the MTN factory outside Barcelona, Spain.

This is a statement from the good folks at Popcranc that made the video:

“From the very start, when we had the opportunity to speak with Mac and find out more about his work, we decided to center the video idea not on the mural process, but on the style and inspiration of the author. The suggestive image of the girl which he painted really reminded us of Andy Warhol’s screen tests, and the simple details characteristic of Jean-Luc Godard’s Anna Karina. So we threw ourselves into the project, playing with that inspiration. The main thing was to use the dramatic combination of black and white, just as Mac did with his piece. We had a great time during the whole process with Mac, Ari, and Kim, and hope that they’ll come back to Barcelona soon. Many thanks to Montana for the opportunity!”

New Print: "Prayer"

I will be releasing a new print titled "Prayer" this tuesday Nov.22nd through Moon Editions of San Francisco. I haven't put out a print for a little while now, and this is a special one. It's based on the painting I created for the New Masters show at Subliminal Projects in LA earlier this year. I put a lot of time into painting this just how I wanted it, and the guys at Moon did a perfect job making it into a print. Thanks to Nick Portalupi & Brett Aronson for taking the time & effort to do it right, and thanks to Patrick Kawahara for the great documentation.

Here are some details:

EL MAC "Prayer" 2011

Two-color serigraph on archival Stonehenge 320 gsm.

100% cotton, acid-free.

Print is 21"x28"

Signed, stamped and numbered by the artist.

Vermilion red / Edition of 49

Metallic copper / Edition of 39

Teal blue variant / Edition of 9

Available Tuesday (Nov. 22) at a random time @ shop.mooneditions.com

For more information visit: mooneditions.com

New EL MAC mural in Barcelona, Spain

Here are shots of a mural I painted at the Montana paint factory just outside Barcelona, Spain. I've used the paint produced there for years and I had always imagined the place to be located in some harsh industrial wasteland. It is in fact surrounded by mountains and forests, just north of the famous Montserrat abbey and mountain range. This contrast between something so industrial and urban, and an environment so peaceful and natural seemed like a good setting for what I painted. I had access to hundreds of colors but decided to limit my color palette to just black, white and grey (and leave the full spectrum to the classic Os Gemeos mural across the way). Thanks to Lacheln for modeling for this, thanks to Ari and Kim for ground support, Jorge y Javier de Avant-Garde Urbano, y gracias a Jordi, Albert y todos los de MTN por hacer posible este mural.

New EL MAC mural in London: "Un Campechano en Londres"

Painted this quick little mural in the Shoreditch area of London a couple months ago. Based it on a photo I took of a local campesino when I was in Campeche, México last year. Wasn't even in London a full 24 hours, and basically spent the whole time there just painting this. Special thanks to Jim & Matilda of EOTL for the wall & amenities, thanks to the Bristol City Council for the paint, and thanks to the weather for not starting to rain until I finished.

New mural in LA with Kofie for Sound Space/KROQ/RedBull

Here's some shots of a new mural I just painted with my good friend Kofie in LA. It was commissioned for the new Red Bull Sound Space venue at the KROQ headquarters. Coincidentally, I just painted a guitarist in Spain recently, so this is a more modern, harder, electric companion to that. This is based on a photo I took of my girl Kim playing her vintage Supro guitar. I wanted this to convey a sense of rocking out combined with musicianship- I think Kofie's sharp, aggressive angles are a good compliment to the more focused, serene feel of the figure. Music is a key part of my painting process, I hardly ever paint without listening to some kind of music...so this is sort of an appreciation for all the great musicians that help us do what we do and make life better, one drum beat or guitar riff at a time. Thanks to Kim for modeling, and all the good folks from KROQ and Red Bull that helped make this mural possible.

New EL MAC mural in Tudela, Spain: "El Guitarrista"

These are shots of a new mural titled "El Guitarrista" I just painted in Spain. This was part of the Avant-Garde Urbano 2011 "international festival of artistic interventions in the urban space" held a couple weeks ago in Tudela de Navarra. The mural was painted in an old Gypsy neighborhood, next to a Romanesque church from the 12th century, La Iglesia de la Magdalena. The history and culture in this area runs deep. Christians, Jews and Muslims have all shaped the identity of old Tudela, and it was inspiring to soak some of this in. The wall faces a little plaza where each day families hang out, little kids play, and old ladies keep the mosquito population in check with their flyswatters. The image I painted there was based on a photo I took of a Mexican guitar player in East LA, and it seemed perfectly appropriate considering the connections between Flamenco music and Mexican/Latin-American music. This was produced by the Castel Ruiz cultural center and curated by Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada. The other participating artists included BLU, SUSO33, Filippo Minelli, Buenos Aires Stencil + Run Don't Walk. Many thanks to the talented and amazing Jorge & Ana, Javier & Castel Ruiz, Juanjo y su familia, my roll dogs Ari and Kim, MTN paints, and everyone else that helped make this project possible.

New mural project in Tudela, Spain

More details and images soon...

New Video from Germany- "Portrait of a Dying Cockroach"

Here's a new timelapse video of a piece I painted for the Public Provocations show at the Carhartt Gallery held during the last Art Basel in Switzerland. This was painted with just spraypaint and fatcaps, no stencils or projectors, etc. As I explained in this earlier post, this was based on a photograph I took of a cockroach on the floor of the Margulies Collection when we painted their building during the last Miami Art Basel. It felt appropriate to then paint this during the Swiss Art Basel, alongside all the glamour and wealth. (Someone told me they don't have roaches in Switzerland)

Many thanks to Dans & the crew at Carhartt Gallery for putting this together.

New EL MAC mural in Bristol, England: "Clothed With the Sun"

This is a new mural I painted in Bristol, England titled "Clothed With the Sun". It is located in the center of the city, on a building six stories high. It was painted during an event called "See No Evil", as part of an effort to revitalize one of the more drab streets in the heart of Bristol (yes, the same Bristol that street art superstar Banksy is from). A bunch of other European artists also painted for this event, billed as "Europe's largest permanent street art project".
I wanted to make this image something like a modernized scene from a Renaissance painting, serene and grandiose. Hopefully Raphael or Michelangelo would approve. You could interpret this as an updated Madonna painting, or an homage to single mothers in a country that has the highest rate of single mothers in Europe.

Many thanks to my lady Kim & her baby niece Madeleine for posing, The Bristol City Council & Inkie for helping make this possible, TATS cru for comedy, Weapon of Choice, Tim, and everyone else that helped out or showed some love.

Here's a no-frills timelapse video someone took from a nearby building:

..and here's a painting by Raphael from about 1504 that's a good example of the inspiration behind the mural.