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GraffitiStreet travelled to Coventry City, (note: not in the style of Lady Godiva), to check out stencil artist Pahnl’s second solo show titled ‘A History of Us’, which runs from 12th June until 4th October 2015 at the prestigious Herbert Art Gallery & Museum .
This is Pahnl’s second solo show where he has spray painted his stencil artwork directly onto the host walls. His first solo show ‘Do Look Down’ was in London two years ago where Pahnl spray painted an adventurous city onto the gallery walls. The city included public houses, parks and apartment blocks, with his little 9cm characters going about their lives, complete with romantic settings, beer infused fighting and police chasing…it was a great show!
So we were extremely excited to attend Pahnls second solo show ‘A History of Us’ especially when we heard of the impressive stats! Pahnl’s total file-size of the show folder was a humongous 18.5GB, needed to cover a 44 metre wall, using one thousand, one hundred and seven stencils, yes you read that correctly! (only gaining one scar for his efforts) and killing seventy three spray cans… that’s one massive project so we can understand why this solo show took two years to plan, execute and an intense eighty two hours to complete. Phew!
Well we can say it was most definitely worth the wait and Pahnls blood, sweat and beers. This was a history lesson that was creative,witty, sometimes factual and often a little bit subversive. We even learnt a thing or two!
A History of Us takes visitors on a wry journey through the (sort of) history of the human race. We Started at nothing, zilch just a number 001, the absolute beginning, then we got to the fun stuff…the dinosaurs years… staring down in Pahnls tiny world was a gigantic tyrannosaurus rex just about to eat a poor fella until the asteroid impact (I wonder if the fella was the time traveller?)
Pahnl. A history of us. Photo © Donna Haden
…and of course the Sellosaurus, the daddy of the Dinos with the bling and the girls.
Pahnl. A history of us. Photo © Donna Haden
We were then lead through a history of our timeline as humans, passing the Cavemen, the Egyptians, the Romans, the Greeks, the Beatles, etc and the timeline leads us towards a speculative future. This is the future seen through the artists mind… bear in mind Pahnl used seventy three spray cans, thats one big atomic bomb of fumes… the future looks epic… now where can I find that henry cleaning robot? I need you in my life.
Pahnl. A history of us. Photo © Donna Haden
The exhibition, (PG rated so you can take the kids), was thoroughly enjoyed. The stencilling was crisp and the write ups were witty and pub quiz informative. Stuff that you need to know in your life… for example, where the word ‘Sandwich’ comes from?
The whole history timeline was a genius mix up of everything and anything and perfectly orchestrated together. Definitely a must to go and visit. Pahnl even managed to squeeze in some hand made screen prints for the event found in the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum shop on the ground floor. Hope you get to go and see the event and able to purchase a screen print before they all go extinct! you’ve been warned!
Heres our top five characters from the exhibition…
Who can resist a mummy complete with loose bandages, not us!
Pahnl. A history of us. Photo © Donna Haden
We love a bit of art in our lives! I think Leonardo da Vinci is just about to paint on Mona Lisa’s smile!
Pahnl. A history of us. Photo © Donna Haden
This image relates to the word ‘Sandwich’. Very informative.
Pahnl. A history of us. Photo © Donna Haden
Doesn’t everyone love a bit of Einstein and his Relativity… or is it just me?
Pahnl. A history of us. Photo © Donna Haden
If its good enough for Banksy, its good enough for Pahnl… The girl with the pearl earring… next to Isaac Newton falling from the apple tree… sorry its the physics thing again!
Pahnl. A history of us. Photo © Donna Haden
Please let us know your favourites from the exhibition and a massive congratulations to Pahnl and the gallery for all their hard work that brought together this impressive second solo show in the Roman City of Coventry.
Lets finish with the naked Lady Godiva character! Her statue sits in the middle of Coventry City and now in the middle (sort of) of Pahnls historic timeline!
Pahnl. Photo © GraffitiStreet
