Is art the new rock’n’roll? That’s exactly the sort of daft question you won’t find me asking, but there are certainly parallels to be drawn between the two worlds. Recent years have seen an emergence from the underground street art scene of a number of high-profile artists with a “real-world” persona to associate with their work — not obscuring their identities behind bandanas and under hoodies, but smiling for the cameras while unveiling public commissions or launching solo exhibitions.
Søren Solkaer has spent the last two decades creating portraits of the world’s leading musicians, but for his latest project the Dane has turned his attention instead to the sphere of street art. Surface is the result of a three year journey through many of the world’s most vibrant cities, portraying his photographic subjects with a favourite or seminal urban artwork. From candid and ad hoc shots to elaborately staged theatrical compositions, some artists posing defiantly, others remaining under a veil of secrecy, Solkaer presents 135 important figures from the urban art world including D*Face; Faile; Shephard Fairey; Ron English; Swoon; DabsMyla; Blek Le Rat and The London Police.
The 240 page hardback Surface by Søren Solkaer is published by Gingko Press.
