ANBI
1002
Artwork
Street Art piece
Amy Whinehouse
Street Art Museum Amsterdam
Author:
Btoy
Artist Bio:
Btoy is one of the first women who stepped out onto the streets of Barcelonawith detailed multi-layered stencil art that playswith colour, light and shadow to create moody and powerful portraits. Born in Barcelona, Btoy is the child of social activists and refugees fleeing the dictatorial regime in Uruguay lasting from 1973-85. As a self-taught artist, she came to graffiti while completing a photography degree (and after abandoning studies in law), first playing with paste-ups on the streets of Barcelona in the early 2000’s. At that time, before it became the mass tourism hotspot it is today, a welcoming culture and low cost of living in Barcelona created fertile ground for those experimenting with graffiti, underground music, theater and art subcultures. It was in this setting that Btoy began to vigorously investigate feminism, stereotyped gender roles and identities, and to express her own identity through her work, choosing the streets as her medium for their freedom from convention, their hidden moods, memories, and stories.
Place:
Burgemeester Roell Straat
Date:
2012
Technique:
Spray Can
Material:
Wooden Fench
Acquisition:
Commission
Completed:
2012
Condition:
Gone / Illegible
Physical Description:
This work is made with the stencil technique and the use of montana spray directly onto a sheet of paper, which is then glued onto a public surface. The technique, known as paste-up, is typical of urban artists who want to endow their works with detail and realism or for serial reproduction. In this case, the portrait of Amy Winehouse is realised with great realism, enhancing the features of the famous singer.
Iconography:
Among the recurring themes of Btoy we also encounter celebrities related to the feminist universe. The famous singer Amy Winehouse, who died prematurely in 2011, is one of the modern icons of female empowerment because of her rebellious, emancipated life, free from patriarchal constraints. The work is part of a larger series dedicated to celebrities in SAMA's collection, including other singers such as David Bowie, a symbol of the queer community and experimental rock of the 1970s.
Gallery
