"life is beautiful" with mr. brainwash

last night, i cruised on down to the former CBS studios on sunset blvd. to attend a sneak preview of the first solo exhibit by eccentric french filmmaker turned street artist, mr. brainwash (a.k.a. MBW).  the evening kicked off with live jazz music, a 12-foot tall chinese takeout bag, and artist shepard fairey spinning tunes inside.  in other words, the night was smoove.

over the past nine years, MBW filmed (but still has yet to complete) a documentary about international and underground street artists.  while gathering hours of footage from provocateurs such as banksy and shepard fairey, MBW  decided to put down his camera and try his hand at stenciling, oil painting, collage, and photography.

what emerged was a collection of works which blend random cultural icons and figures (i.e. washington, condoleezza, run DMC, starbucks) with various art movements ranging from pop to dadaism to the renaissance.

view MORE pix plus learn how to score a signed mr. brainwash limited edition print after the JUMP.

the "life is beautiful" exhibit features over three hundred paintings, sculptures, and prints in addition to an installation made from 100,000 shoes and a life-size re-creation of edward hopper’s "nighthawks."

to top it off, there are two vandalized cop cars, a stuffed animal installation, doll parts galore, 8-foot tall tomato soup spray cans, and my personal favorite -- warhol's monroe meets obama, clinton, and mccain.

above: MBW's obama, clinton, and mccain outside of the former CBS studio on sunset blvd. (image via swindle).

above top:  campbell's soup spray cans;  above bottom:  sid vicious & ray charles composed entirely of broken vinyl records.

above:  mr. brainwash (right).

above:  spock and friends.

above left:  punk love;  above right: britney spears & madonna kiss. (image via la weekly).

above:  "life is beautiful" exhibition entourage.

mr. brainwash's exhibition officially opens today.  hurry on down because the first 200 people to arrive will receive this signed, limited edition elvis print...

now go get your brainwash on.  and to see more of my pix, click on over to my flickr page.

place: 6121 sunset blvd.  los angeles
time: 7-11
price: FREE!

for more info, click here.

Comments

[Randel]

WOW!
wish that i was there.

r.

[lainela]

i was there! mr brainwash gave us a pair of boots that was hanging from a tree.

[Thombeau]

This sort of reminds me of the work of "Bob & Bob", a strange art duo of the early eighties.

[tula]

laine, mr. brainwash gave you a pair of boots? where was i? me sad :(

[laine]

teehee. we just asked if we could have a pair (in french) and he took some down and put them around yassi's neck. voila!

i should have asked for that justin timberlake biography also.

[tula]

i need to learn french.