Phibs

Phibs is the nom de plume of Tim De Haan (born 1974), a notable graffiti artist operating out of Sydney, Australia.^[1][2]

Biography

Phibs was born in a coastal town in New South Wales, Australia before moving to Sydney in the late 1980s and then Melbourne in 2001. Phibs has been commissioned to large scale artworks by companies such as Absolut Vodka.^[3] He also has been commissioned to decorate a number of buildings across Sydney such as Max Brenner chocolates in Paddington,^[4] the Glow Cafe in Newtown and a number of alley ways throughout the city of Sydney. He has also travelled to countries outside of Australia where his work can also be seen on walls in Berlin, Miami^[5][6] and New York. Whilst in Melbourne he worked with the Fitzroy based Everfresh Studio Collective, alongside street artists Rone and Mike Makka.^[7]

Phibs was featured in the 2005 documentary, RASH, ^[8] where he discusses his roots in graffiti art and paints murals with United States hip hop artist Chali 2na.

Phibs was also one of the Australian street artists featured in Jon Reiss' 2010 documentary webseries, Bomb It 2.^[9]

In September 2015 the premiere episode of Event, which aired on Foxtel Arts, featured Phibs as its Australian Artist in Residence.^[10][11]

A number of Phibs’ print works have been acquired by the National Gallery of Australia for its permanent collection.^[12][13]

Phibs is currently based in Sydney.

Style and influences

Phibs uses a complex wildstyle graffiti that incorporates interwoven and overlapping lettering and characters. His compositions usually feature animals such as fish and birds in a vibrant mix of complimentary colours. He explores an interest in shapes by fragmenting and breaking up these subjects. Another common theme in Phibs’s work is the use of indigenous and tribal motifs, particularly koru style curls. Phibs credits writers, D-Lite and Crim, for helping him create his own distinctive style.

See also

• List of Street Artists
• Types of graffiti
• List of graffiti artists
• RASH Documentary Melbourne, 2005
• Spray paint art

External links

• www.phibs.com
• Smallman, Jake; Nyman, Carl (2005). Stencil graffiti capital : Melbourne. New York: Mark Batty Publisher. ISBN 0-9762245-3-4.  Official site
• Howze, Russell (2008). Stencil Nation: Graffiti, Community, and Art. Manic D Press. ISBN 97819331492-2-6. 
• Everfresh - Blackbook: The Studio and Streets, 2004-2010. The Miegunyah Press. 2010. ISBN 9780522857450. 
• MTV Asia video showing works by Phibs
• WORKHORSE VISUALS displaying Pictures of Phibs

References

Street art Culture Activism Aerosol paint Culture jamming Direct action Graffiti (terminology use theory) Guerrilla art Hip hop culture Installation art Murals Propaganda Reverse graffiti Screenprinting Spray paint art Stencil graffiti Sticker art Subway Art Yarn bombing Wheatpaste Lists of artists Street Graffiti Poster Stencil Wheatpaste Places Atlanta Berlin (Berlin Wall) Hong Kong (Free Ai Weiwei campaign) Melbourne New York City (5 Pointz) Philadelphia San Francisco (Balmy Alley Clarion Alley) São Paulo (Beco do Batman) Southeastern Brazil (pichação) Sydney (Newtown area) Tehran Toronto Events The Cans Festival Living Walls See No Evil Related articles Built environment MTA Public art Public space Psychogeography Rapid transit Street party Urban acupuncture Urban planning Vandalism