January 7, 2023

A Place For Everyone To Be URBISMUS

 


Hi there! It's been a while. 14 years to be exact. Although silent on this page, the collective has never ceased to exist, but since other social media platforms have taken over, none of us had time for blogging anymore.
Today, we return to happily announce that after countless art shows, music shows, street bombings,  parties and such, URBISMUS now has a permanent home. And what a home it is! It's an old and neglected, historic building in Downtown Jacksonville! It was our love of these kinds of properties that spurred URBISMUS into existence in the first place, and also our resentment of their neglect.
Much more to say about that and much more to come. Stay tuned.

September 23, 2009

June 18, 2008

MUTO, an ambiguous animation painted on public walls


MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

A fantastic street art project in Buenos Aires and Baden, by BLU.

June 4, 2008

STREET ART SHOW

Saturday, 6/7/08
8-11 PM
BOGDA GALLERY
1253 McDuff Ave. So.
Jacksonville, FL

with:
Tommy Armageddon
Shaun Thurston
Kenski
Rosenberg and more

What the dillio?!

Project RUN has had an interesting run, to say the least. Besides stirring up needed interest in street art and becoming a sick (but endlessly entertaining) obsession to a couple of bruised artsy egos, we hoped our voices would be heard by the few at which they were aimed. To our surprise ... they were!
Problem is ... we did not inspire action. Instead of getting the absentee landlords to move with downtown Jax redevelopment plans, they sent us love and appreciation of our art, along with permission to put up more on their properties!
In the end, the game was played on us. Especially since at least 3 old buildings were leveled in DT from the day the installation was put up.

On the brighter side, we're more than happy to see other artists coming out of the woodwork by showing their presence on the streets. Every vibrant urban center, every "well lived in" city street proudly displays the human presence that rubs off on it's walls. Such is a beautiful "residue" we wish to see more of around Jacksonville's streets.

We have been approached by Bogda Gallery to show the URBISMUS art. While very flattering, we recognize the dilemma this presents. We are of the opinion that street art is just that: street art. However, by exhibiting this month, we hope to continue the project in any form it might take.
Quoting Warhol:
'(The images) are fact, and that is enough', he states; '(the images) are charged with their very presence.'


We'd like to express our gratitude to the following:

Matt Uhrig at BikeJax and JaxBlaspheme
Joey Marchy at Urban Jacksonville
Byron King at JaxCal
Tony Allegretti at The Urban Core
Urban Art Warfare
Joy McGinnis at Bogda Gallery
Dolly Penland at Folio Weekly
Donald Dusinberre at EU Magazine
Matt Saffer at CBS47/FOX30 News
unMuse

.... and to everyone who supported us in their own way, thanks!

February 2, 2008

    Rats! Rats everywhere!
    Free stencil.

January 9, 2008

What, Who and Why?

URBIS: (lat.) city
MUS: (lat.) mouse

We are city mice / urban rats.
We are artists who live and breathe for the urban lifestyle. We create and draw our inspiration from urban energy and feel quite at home in  urban blight.
We find suburbia and gated communities sterile, unwelcoming and quite hostile to our individuality and personal expression.

Are you here because you have seen one of these?:


Project RUN
(Reside Urbanely Now!)

Our installation is designed specifically for downtown Jacksonville, Florida.

We bring you people. Everyday, regular people about their business. People you'd see on any city street at any time of the day.

........ except in downtown Jacksonville.

What happened to this once beautiful and bold new city? Who's to blame for such an absence of life on her streets? What ravaged this city more than the great fire of 1901?
These questions have been asked and discussed for over 20 years, but solutions are yet to be found.
So, while authorities and those in the know draw and re-draw their "redevelopment" plans, foolishly thinking they can plan life, we bring life to downtown Jacksonville the best way we can. We hope to encourage others to make their statement as well. Take back her streets!

THIS IS NOT VANDALISM!
Wheatpasting is a form of street art, or poster art. It is not permanent and does not cause property damage.

Each figure is placed on an abandoned, neglected and forgotten building.

Who's a bigger VANDAL than the property owners , allowed by the city, to neglect our landmarks and let them disintegrate? They are effectively preventing life from happening! They are the vandals!

Questions and inquiries:
urbismus@gmail.com