For most of us, the stencil/graffiti phenomenon is synonymous with just one name: Banksy. But true aficionados of the Street Art scene know that before there was Banksy, there was Ego. Nowadays the Bristol-born graff artist no longer uses his former tag, but his hugely influential technique remains much the same. Nick Walker the Apish Angel, (as he now prefers to be known) was one of the first to integrate intricate stencil images with conventional freehand methods, and it seems to have been a winning combination: Walker’s work has been shown across the globe in locations from London to Taiwan.

This February will see the opening of the Apish Angel’s brand new exhibition, ‘Pretty Decorating’, at West Hollywood’s Carmichael Gallery. The 30-piece narrative follows the antics of the ‘Vandal’; a quintessential Englishman who sets out to brighten up the world’s largest cities armed only with a spray can. The resulting collection is an ironic yet highly accomplished take on the urban art world that viewers are bound to find amusing and inspiring in equal measures. Not to be missed.

On View: February 2 - 24, 2008
http://www.carmichaelgallery.com/