edition fifty prints the complex humanist street art of david de la mano

edition fifty prints the complex humanist street art of david de la mano
all images courtesy of david de la mano and edition fifty

spanish artist, david de la mano has joined forces with bristol, UK-based print project, edition fifty to commit one of his powerful images of symbolic, mass human behavior to paper. a developing, worldwide reputation for his outdoor work has been earned through stirring, complex interventions in global cities, from his native salamanca, spain to djerba, tunisia.

detail of the work

the print partnership presents his latest endeavor, ‘exile, to enthusiasts of the world’s street artists for the first time. drawing directly from the style and subject matter seen in de la mano’s large-scale murals, he sets his characters – occasionally part human/part tree – in an undetermined landscape, shared with shadows, cages and leashed dogs. with an aesthetic similar to cave painting and cautionary fable, the composition combines diluted coffee, ink pen, and watercolors to set the unfolding scene.

the artist places his works in unexpected locations, working with the existing constraints of the environment

as a long-time collaborator with the founder of the movimiento señora, fellow artist, pablo S. herrero, de la mano’s practice focuses on areas that are abandoned or could be considered slums. in these overlooked places, the work depicts gatherings of faceless individuals that, when viewed as a whole, form beautiful, alternate forms or scenes. hundreds of tiny bodies come together to depict an eyeball or a human face. in many cases, the community of individuals are engaged in activities that set them in motion, whether climbing, pushing or walking as one. the effect is to entice the viewer to inspect the detail, as well as enjoying the whole.

the pieces intend to make statements about human behavior as they interact with architectural details
photo © anne provignon

david de la mano says: ‘people are the theme of my work, especially human behavior and the collectivism, conflicts and contradictions that we naturally encounter and try to resolve. I enjoy creating complex images, where a simple glance only sees the consolidated whole of what has been created. it is in the finer detail that the little stories intertwine with other, perhaps more confusing, plots.’ edition fifty will release ‘exile’ to the public at 15:00 GMT on thursday, november 27, 2014, in a strictly limited edition that has been developed using hand-pulled screen printing on 300gsm somerset soft-white paper.

the paintings art part human/part tree
photo © anne provignon

the compositions feature faceless bodies

exile printed on paper

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.