Tag Archives: banksy

True TrustoCorp.

What a weekend! Wow. I hope you all had as much fun as I did. I pretty much did it all, and I’ll be sharing some of the details throughout the week, but right now I want to share this very cool piece of street art. It’s a true TrustoCorp.

trustocorp, trustocorp street sign, trustocorp graffiti

A friend wrote in after my No Killing Anytime post to say that the series looked like the work of TrustoCorp. They certainly did, but they actually weren’t. They were wheatpastes that had been applied over existing real street signs. The way TrustoCorp does it is they manufacture real metal signs.

When this one caught my eye initially, I thought it was a real city sign. Woah, I thought, Berkeley really is progressive! (Sign was spotted right outside Looking Glass Photo on Telegraph Ave where the Pinhole Workshop was held yesterday… great fun… more on that later.) But as I got closer I spotted the TrustoCorp logo (the T inside the “wings”) and then this on the back…

trustocorp sign, trustocorp berkeley, real men use fists

I was particularly excited to see this piece of street art because the whole blogittersphere was abuzz last week with the sightings of possibly Banksy pieces in San Fran, and I was feeling a little left out…
http://spotsunknown.com/new-banksy-in-chinatown/
http://missionlocal.org/2010/04/famed-unseen-street-artist-banksy-marks-the-mission/

Folks aren’t sure if these are the real deal (they look pretty authentic to me) or the work of a copycat artist, but either way, it’s certainly great P.R. for the recent release of the new street art documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. The film had a sneak preview showing in S.F. on the 15th, and is now playing Bay-wide at a few select locations…

Exit Through the Gift Shop Showtimes

In any case, I think Mr. Banksy and the folks from TrustoCorp should make their way over to Oaktown! C’mon y’all, show us what you got…

Welcome to my first post… WOO HOO!

My goal is to highlight all of the amazing public art that exists in the incredible city of Oakland, California (aka ‘Oaktown’ – my hometown).  One piece of art per day.  Every day.  If possible.

Here’s my first… Suits & Soldiers

oaktownart_20090901

oaktownart_20090901_dtlOk… so technically, this mural exists in Emeryville (corner of Adeline & San Pablo) which I’m sure seems a strange choice for my first post about Oakland art.  But I choose this piece as my starting point for three reasons:

  1. It is literally a stone’s throw from the Oakland border. Close enough in my book…
  2. It’s simply awesome.  I love it!  Reminiscent of the work of the unbelievably talented Bansky.
  3. You won’t be able to see it much longer.  The adjacent lot is currently under construction (note bulldozer) and will soon be filled by a new Lanesplitter’s Pizza, which I guess won’t be a horrible addition to the neighborhood, but I will miss this mural.  Go see it now while you have the chance!

The artist is Matt Reynoso… 1/2 of the talented artistic duo behind the Compound Studios & Gallery, a studio and gallery space for over 20 working artists in Oakland.  They’re doing neat stuff.  Check ’em out.

Oakland is COOL.