Joshua Vides is a Guatemalan-American artist. At only 29 years old, this artist and designer has become known for his signature black and white style, which he has applied to a range of items, from shoes to cars.

Less than ten years ago, Vides launched into streetwear with the CLSC brand. Since then, he has had a meteoric rise. To every creation, Vides brings his own irreverent style, which was shaped by the culture of stencilling and tagging of his youth.

In April 2017, while cleaning his desk, Vides came up with the idea of painting a pair of Reebok Classic sneakers in black and white. He loved the final look and tried it again a month later on a pair of Nike Air Force 1s, posting a picture of this second pair to Instagram in May 2017. While at first his work reached only friends and family, its simplicity went on to touch people around the world.

This year, Vides will be in Montreal for the MURAL Festival from June 6th to 16th. With «Le Lave-Auto», a project presented by Mercedes-Benz Canada in collaboration with Laurier Avenue West, he will transform an old car wash with his iconic style. The project is a continuation of Vides’s interactive show, Reality to Ideas, for which he made 3D objects look like 2D black and white cartoons.

This installation will take place at Lave-Auto Laurier, located at the lively corner of Laurier and St-Urbain. As a new, notable part of Montreal’s urban landscape, it is sure to become a destination for locals as well as visitors from around the world.

Globally, the name Mercedes-Benz is synonymous with tradition, innovation, and design. The partnership between Vides and the brand represents a union between old and new, and demonstrates how fresh perspectives and bold design can change the world.

 

photo by Culture Cartel