In the past few years, we have been presented with words like street art, street style, post-graffiti, urban arts, and so on. Many of us are understandably quite sick and tired of being fed this post-art terminology. These self proclaimed artistes have spread themselves like bush fire throughout bigger cities all around the world. Thanks to the commercial success of a very limited few, everyone whom could hold a spray paint can or a pair of scissors has found the necessity to express themselves. The effect has been bad copies and duplications of REAL talent everywhere.

In my own opinion there are no objections to anyone’s will to create – all that one needs is that motivation and the ability to carry out their actions. The fact is, art is becoming a part of our everyday lives in general and it has to. Art frees the soul, effects the quality of life in a wholly positive way and provides ample food for thought – whether it be perceived as ugly or not in its many forms (street, traditional or experimental).

So it is arguable whether art should, or should not, be popular in street style. Especially as this kind of art sometimes causes property damage. The art form itself is not about destruction nor is it about a nihilistic way of life. Each piece of work is a simple manifestation of a young generation whose aim is to be creative and to make use of their time in a sensible way and create something from nothing. They are trying to change this world into a better (and notably more beautiful) place from time to time using their maverick methods. They operate far away from the traditional modes of commercialism that is seen everyday in magazines or on television – mediums which show the world in a bling form with manipulated bodies and tainted views of what is beautiful. A world without consistence, a world that is not true. A fake new world of which they don‘t want to be part of it.

On that note, I would like to introduce you an artist named EVOL. He is definitely one of those guys who surrounds you with a sort of beauty – reflecting the emptiness of our world in a wholly subtle manner. Dominated by architectural elements, EVOL’s images are crafted with photographic precision as a result of a multitude of labour intensive stencils. Each stencil is layered, applied and traced with spray cans on wood and discarded cardboard. EVOL uses a reverse imaging process that in its finished form represents not just one media whether that be a painting, a photograph or graffiti or drawing. Instead all of EVOL’s finished pieces are a coming together of all of those things as one.

EVOL‘s first solo show is being presented at Wilde Gallery in Berlin. EVOL presents among others, a four by three meter installation titled ‘Flamingo Beach – Later’ which consists of a meticulously stenciled environment that oscillates between a real transitory space and an imaginary faux location that plays on the idea of the cinematic prop as well as collective suspension of disbelief.

Exhibition: May 01 – May 30, 2009
Opening Hours: Tue – Sat | 12 – 18 h
Location: Wilde Gallery | Chauseestr. 7 | 10115 Berlin