New Work from the Streets of Los Angeles

Special Thanks to : Michael Strahan, Getting locked out of your home with no wallet and having to call your landlord to let you in, White People Problems, Your friends just rented a really oddly designed apartment in a sketchy neighborhood, Johnny Manziel's rolled up $20 bill, Prepping your fantasy football draft one month before the draft like a fucking nerd.

UPPERHANDS Street Artist Focus : HOTTEA

All pieces made using yarn.

Upperhands : Graffiti Detail

Night Maneuvers : Melrose Ave, Los Angeles

Street Marauders - Notes from Los Angeles Urban Landscape.

 

 

Special Thanks To :

UPPERHANDS Artist Retrospective : Ketih Haring

In the first edition of UPPERHANDS Artist Retrospective,

we pay homage to one of the first graffiti heads and purveyors of street art as we know it:

Keith Haring.

When they write the history books about graffiti, Keith Haring is 

going to be featured within the first 5 pages... sheeeeit he may 

be in the introduction too. 

For fear of boring the hell out of you and delaying the show,

sit back, toke a joint, relax and expand your browser to full screen for these images 

you're not going to want to miss!

 

 

 

And now for the forgotten gems from Keith Haring's arsenal.

Nighttime Maneuvers 7 - Benjamin Alejandro

One of my favorite aspects of Los Angeles is that there are 

always  street artists putting in some serious work. 

Enter : Benjamin Alejandro

The self proclaimed graduate of the School of Hard Knocks, Benjamin Alejandro is motivated to broadcast his message by any means fit. From the streets to social media outlets, this self-taught artist has embraced past failures and transformed them into a gambit of funny, disturbing, and peculiar artworks that make you wonder whether he is a social scientist conducting an experiment or someone who is lifting a veil on our obsession with celebrity and success.

Alejandro is well known for appropriating a mug shot of himself into silkscreens and street based works. Arrested for graffiti, the artist created a signature look with an experience that many would try and hide. This type of thinking makes Alejandro an unusual character as his idiocentric attitude seems to surface in all of his work. His mug shot portraits continue this idea with a series featuring celebrities like Bill Gates, Kobe Bryant and Shepard Fairey. This is certainly a quirky idea and one most would not consider flattering. However, Alejandro is celebrating these folks who have overcome missteps and are great examples of triumphant victories in their respective fields.

-G. James Daichendt, Ed.D

Benjamin Alejandro's website:

benjaminalejandro.com

Sunset and Silver Lake Blvd.

Photo Taken by : Upperhands

Sunset and Silver Lake Blvd.

Photo Taken by : Upperhands

Special Thaks to : Rich and powerful men getting a slap on the wrist, tequila, Upperhands 8.0, Wishing you did more, Doing the most possible next time around.