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E.L.K. descends on the Archibald – again

RECLUSIVE Canberra-raised stencil artist Luke Cornish (E.L.K. to you and me) has teamed up with augmented reality expert, Amber Standley and well-known former Canberra photographer Cole Bennetts to create an entry to the Archibald Prize that he claims is “like no other.”

Wil Anderson - E.L.K. style
Wil Anderson – E.L.K. style

The portrait is a stencil of Australian comedian and television personality, Wil Anderson – but with a twist. Load up your smart phone or tablet with the augmented reality app, point the camera at the portrait and Wil Anderson will come alive in real time, leaping out of the portrait on the wall.

E.L.K. whose street art can still be seen around Canberra, garnered media attention in 2012, for becoming the ?rst street artist in history to be accepted and exhibited as a ?nalist in the Archibald for his black and white stencil portrait of Father Bob Maguire. This entry turned the traditional art world upside down.

Since then Cornish has become the highest selling Australian street artist, selling his portrait of Father Bob at the Bonhams Auction of Important Australian Art and has recently toured the war zones of Lebanon collecting content for his ?rst international solo show, ‘Louder Than Words’ in London at Stolen Space Gallery this coming August.

Making up the rest of the creative team are Standley and Bennetts. Standley is the super-geek of the trio and brings the magic that makes everything come to life. Amber runs her own Augmented Reality company called A+ Solutions and is completing a masters in digital design.

Bennetts, a former “CityNews” staffer, is now a photojournalist and photographer whose subjects range from Queen Elizabeth II, to the Wiggles and everything in between. Cole shot and directed the video rant of Wil Anderson.”

You can see the portrait of Wil Anderson in action here:

Luke Cornish: http://www.elkstencils.com

Cole Bennetts: www.colebennetts.com

Amber Standley: www.a-positive.com.au/

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Helen Musa

Helen Musa

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9 Responses to E.L.K. descends on the Archibald – again

anon says: 19 June 2014 at 3:41 pm

I think the author should check some facts, Heres some info from someone who is well versed in this topic.
Elk has done work on the street, true but he’s hardly an actual street artist. Somebody who has only ever done legal spots grasping at straws to call themselves one. Artists such as Lister, Reka, Kid Zoom and Sofles (all of which are Australian and all of which would have sold more work and most for similar if not higher prices) practice in active street work (legal and not) along side their studio work.
Elk does deserve credit in where he’s pushed stencilling and for this latest piece of his which looks quite neat.
I have met him before and he seems to have a big enough ego, he doesnt need much more of one

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vdm says: 22 June 2014 at 10:42 pm

‘… seems to have a big enough ego …’

So Anon, I’ve also met E.L.K and I’m telling you you’ve got the wrong man.

Reply
Mark says: 19 June 2014 at 5:28 pm

I really like Luke’s work.
I would like to see the Archibald move away from celebrity subjects though.

Good luck to Luke, maybe we can point him in the direction of a cool scientist or pioneering doctor for 2015.

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