Ilia of Btoy and Jim Darling showcase new pieces at the Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, on February 5th, 2009! Here are their bios, as compiled by the Carmichael Gallery:

Ilia of Btoy
To gaze at a piece by Ilia is to enter into a magical universe populated by acid-house warriors and chic lost souls. Set against stark retro landscapes, the artist’s muted palette and delicate lines enhance the turbulence captured within their striking, moody faces.
Ilia is one half of Barcelona duo Btoy. For years, Btoy have been adding life to the influential Catalan street art scene, and more recently into a grimy tunnel at the first Cans Festival in London.

Jim Darling
Shape, composition and emotion play a large role in the work of American artist Jim Darling. “I attempt to take complex ideas and scenarios and boil them down to a more subtle subject matter,” he comments. “I then juxtapose this simplicity with intricate details. I try not to spell out the entire story, but rather set a tone and deliver elements for a scene. My hope and goal is that the viewer can feel that tone and build the story with the elements that I’ve constructed.” After a childhood in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, Jim moved to Denver to study design. Four years ago, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked as an Art Director, Illustrator, and Fine Artist. He is currently traveling the country with his wife, making art and looking for the next city to call home.

Other artists on display include painter and sculptor Alex Hornest, Brazilian artist Sesper, and street artists Chris Stain and Andreas Ragnar Kasapsis.

www.thisisbtoy.com
www.jimdarling.com
www.carmichaelgallery.com

For those of you who have been paying attention lately, some of the latest greatest accomplishments in the street art world seem to be originating from South America. What better place for 6emeia to be than in Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo?

6emeia (which loosely means “six and a half” in Portuguese) is comprised of Anderson Augusto, also known as SÃO, and Leonardo Delafuente, also known as Delafuente. What they’re doing is beautifying urban sprawl and decay. Manhole covers, electrical boxes, and storm drains are all fair game for being painted with sickingly cute animals or homages to past artistic innovators like Jackson Pollock and Vincent Van Gogh.

Batman and Robin!

Mouse and cheese!

Vincent Van Gogh and ear!

Lighter and… light!

Many more examples of these works and full-fledged murals can be found on their website, at 6emeia.com!