ANEWSPACE - about us

Anewspace's basic belief is to make exciting art easily available in welcoming surrounding. While the core business is art dealing. We are not flippers and try to invest in new Irish art as much as possible.

Because Street art is the essence of what we do we also assist and invite artists to Dublin to paint walls and create artwork. Its far better for people to engage with their surrounds. And we see this as openning a door into the art and a better world.

e'll go anywhere that people ask us.

We tried to write a few beautiful little paragraphs to sum up what we do, but to be honest it was terrible. So instead we asked a few people to ask us some questions and answered them.

If you'd like to know anything about Anewspace, just ask.

When did you set up Anewspace ?

The first show in Dame Lane was a collection of Jamie Hewlett Screenprints. Pictures on Walls gave us a great deal and we're supporting us to some extent. This lead to a D'Face & 3d(Massive Attack) P.O.W screen print show. But no one was happy with it and we knew to make Anewspace work it was important to open our eyes to a world of artwork.

So when did you feel things change ?

Around August 2006, I was looking at the D'Face stuff and no one was that interested. The Irish scene was very new to this kind of work. Banksy was known. But D'Face, Micalleff and Insect were pretty unknown. The only people who seemed to be aware of Obey (outside of the graf scene and designers) were bycycle couriers.

The Kings of Concrete skate board show had graf and stencil artists and I met Will st Leger, Pi and Canvaz.

I decided to do a show called War-What is it good for ? using a Warhol - John Lennon and Banksy -Napalm as the basis and then go looking for stuff. PI showed the Haka Woman and Will - Duty Free State. Obey had just released the Off sets of Revolutionary Woman so the show grew into a cool selection

Then Banksy's L.A. show happened and P.O.W were to busy to help us anymore.

This independence lead to where we are today.

You did a Banksy Exhibition in Dame Lane in October 2006?

Yes, that got us a lot of attention but also a lot of problems. Nothing was for sale at the show it was just a collection that I had borrowed from 2 friends and my own.

We did not have Banksy's premission but we did talk to P.O.W who were happy enough that we were fans just showing people the work

None of the works in the Dame Lane were for sale. It was more about showing people what all the fuss was about and that there was an alternative to going into a gallery and spending a grand on something that has no value beyond the walls of the gallery. Ideally I think people should get into a habit of buying original screen prints or painting by new artist their own age and growing with the artist.

When did you start making prints ?

Will had made a few Gee-clee and so had An? But I felt the next step was screen prints. I was looking for a design which would be a cool first print and that when I meet Canvaz.

We to screen print a piece called Leave Us Alone (angel bomber) for a christmas show called Feed a Starving Artist at Dame Lane in December 2006. And much to our shock it sold out .

After that I was pretty sure, I wanted to do Anewspace full time but its never that simple. Since then we're releasing prints every 2 months and they're doing pretty well. Ideally I like to work with 10artists that we can really build up and then invite artists to show with us.

We did a few more shows in Dame Lane and then the opportunity came up in Urban which has been great.

Are you really owned by Urban Outfitters ?

No, not in any shape or form. We are completely separate. The only thing Urban asked of us is to invite people to our events and to encourage Irish artists to present work. This is harder then you think.

Will you sell my work ?

Maybe . We always want to see new work just email pictures to mail@anewspace.info or email and one of us will come and take a look.

Will you sell me a Banksy ?

I'd prefer not to, to be honest. We usually just have out own collections on show but we will help you source the one you like. I'm huge fan but I think there is now so many amazing artist producing great works that you should take a good look around the web or even visit the shop and buy something you love. There are to many people buying Banksy like a label, its meant to be something you love.

But the best thing you can do is sign up at www.picturesonwalls.com and they'll keep you informed of all the news Banksy releases.

What stuff have you in your own house ?

I've always loved screen prints so I've collected for a long time so I have a few pieces by Ralph Steadman, Keith Harring and Banksy. But recently I got a Candice Tripp that looks great as well as Daniel Danger which looks great.

A lot of the work you show is political, are you just a bunch of hippies and punks ?

That's an odd question. None of the above. I think people are basically bored with accepting a lot of the lies they've been told weather its about Irish politician taking bribes or Iraq. I think if anything the most important thing people can do is engage with the debate and the most basic way of doing this is to register to vote.

It ok, if you don't want to voe for either party but it isn't ok not to got to the ballot box and express yourself. After that the amount of involvement is up to you.

Yes alot of what goes on in the Graf/stencil/urban scene tends to take a poke at the current government(in what ever country) but that's its job.

We all feel like the world won't listen but by making your mark maybe someone will.

Why don't you do more shows outside of Dublin ?

We'll go anywhere people ask us.

What else have you planed ?

Well after Dublin Contemporary definately a POP UP store at 27 Sth William Street but really we are looking for a long term base in Dublin. We are working on a new store which would have a gallery as well as a store but the building we want in in NAMA and its dragging on and on. However its an amazing site so hopefully we'll open it in 2012. Also expect more international guests and solo shows in 2012