California

Known Gallery Presents: Zes/Retna “Excavated Revelations” (Los Angeles, CA)

February 9, 2012 , , , , , ,

Excavated Revelations

EXCAVATED REVELATIONS
Featuring: ZES & RETNA

Opening reception: February 11, 2012 | 8 – 11 pm
Show runs: February 11 – 25, 2012

Known Gallery
441 North Fairfax Avenue,
Los Angeles, CA 90036
info@knowngallery.com

 

“Back in the day, there were these old buildings in downtown Los Angeles on Broadway Street that were abandoned, but they were so beautiful.  Zes and I wanted to climb them no matter how high they were, just so we could write on them.  They might not have been paintings, but to me, they were still works of art.” – RETNA

Known Gallery is proud to present Excavated Revelations, a dual exhibition featuring new work by Los Angeles-based artists ZES and RETNA.   Introduced in their youth by their mutual friend AYER, ZES and RETNA led parallel lives through an upbringing in graffiti. Utilizing a fluidity and precision they mastered by painting some of the most coveted walls in the city, their refined technique is now exemplified in this fresh body of abstract work.

ZES began his career at the young age of thirteen and gained recognition for his determination to climb some of the city’s most challenging locations, stealthily navigating the streets of Los Angeles and commandeering its obscure walls at night. Growing up in the heart of the city, by the age of fifteen, ZES became one of the youngest members of the legendary MSK crew and has helped define the contemporary graffiti movement. Widely respected for his innovations to West Coast wild style, his determination to overcome the obstacles the nature of graffiti presented resulted in a fervent approach to his modus operandi.  His longevity has allowed him to produce a substantial amount of work on the streets, making him one of the most influential and recognized graffiti artists not only in the city, but also internationally, along with his contemporaries AYER, REVOK, and SABER. He has traveled from coast to coast in search of new environments that challenge him to climb higher and paint pieces that express his creative intensity.  To this day, ZES can still be found on rooftops, ledges and fire escapes.

RETNA is always brimming with new ideas.  This past year alone, his work has been spotted everywhere from tail wings of jets to the walls of the Museum of Contemporary Art.  RETNA continuously pushes personal, artistic and physical boundaries as demonstrated in Excavated Revelations.  In this exhibition, he challenges himself with various methods including etching, the most esteemed technique used for master printing.  The age-old process utilizes zinc plates, produced and manipulated through washes and resists and placed in a bath charged with an electric current that physically “etches” the plate. An impression is then printed by running the plate and a sheet of paper through a press at about 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. The result is beautifully embossed into the paper.

Known Gallery
441 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
info@knowngallery.com
310-860-6263

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“Wrinkles” Revisted, Revealed : JR New Mini-Doc

February 7, 2012 , , ,

A year ago on BSA and Huffington Post we brought you the new installation by French Street Artist JR on the streets of Los Angeles called “Wrinkles in the City”.

At the time the installation was still unveiling on walls across a swath of LA, greeting morning commuters and puzzling image-conscious plastic surgeons in the city of angelic youthfulness. The city was anticipating the soon-opening “Art in the Streets” exhibit at The Museum of Contemporary Art, and the artist himself had just garnered a TED prize.

Today we get a look at the new mini-documentary about the “Wrinkles” series and learn much more about the people featured in the gargantuan images plastered on walls everywhere. A sensitive portrayal of the subjects, the pacing of the doc allows stories to unfold before you. Following the video are images of the LA street show by Todd Mazer and Jaime Rojo.

JR Los Angeles (photo @ Jaime Rojo)

JR Los Angeles (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JR Los Angeles. LA Freewalls (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JR Los Angeles (photo © Jaime Rojo)

JR Los Angeles. LA Freewalls (photo © Todd Mazer)

JR Los Angeles (photo © Jaime Rojo)

See our article of JR “Wrinkles in the City” with great photos by Todd Mazer on the Huffington Post HERE

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Siren Studios Presents: Gregory Siff “There and Back” (Hollywood, CA)

February 6, 2012 , , , , , ,

Gregory Siff

GREGORY SIFF  | THERE & BACK

March 1, 2012

6:00 – 11:00pm

Siren Studios 6063 W. Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, CA

RSVP must be made at rsvp@sirenstudios.com

On Thursday March 1, 2012, Siren Studios’ artist series platform; Rooftop Sessions will present Gregory Siff | There & Back. Having just come down from his first, and highly successful solo show with The Site Unscene, Gregory is back with a new body of work. In There & Back, Gregory reveals the private moments of his journey through the past two decades, exposing his range of emotions as well as those who had an impact on him along the way. Gregory’s unique technique and application of ink stains, spray, marker tags, knife etchings and poetry, visually express the maps of his reality; drawing from experience, conquest, loss and love. There & Back follows Gregory’s struggle of coping with the fracturing of a dream and the transformation to something greater once that fracture heals.

Most recently collaborating with street legend and artist Risk from The 7th Letter. Gregory has been commissioned by The Standard Hotel and The De la Barracuda Wall; has exhibited in Los Angeles, New York, London, Dublin, Italy and Vancouver; and has appeared at MOCA director Jeffrey Deitch’s Art Parade, in Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine, Paper Mag, LA Canvas, Complex and Glamour. An exclusive Twelve Bar tee shirt, designed by Gregory, will be available the night of the show.

For There & Back, Gregory will also be collaborating on an installation with students from Communities in Schools, a non-profit organization that works within the public school system to determine student’s needs and establishes relationships with local businesses, social service agencies, health care providers, and parent and volunteer organizations to provide needed resources. Gregory is a dedicated supporter of planting success in children through the arts and will donate 10% of all proceeds from There & Back to Communities in Schools.

Siren Studios is located at 6063 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, CA. For Gregory Siff’s There & Back, Siren Studios’ Rooftop Session has teamed up with curatorial director Eli Consilvio of The Art Reserve as well as curators JB Jones and Wil Atkinson from The Site Unscene. Siren Studios created Rooftop Sessions, a periodic artist platform that extends their current contribution and support to the art scene in Los Angeles

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Physical Goods Gallery and The Site Unscene Present: A HISTORY OF QUEER STREET ART (Hollywood, CA)

February 6, 2012 , , , , , ,

A History of Queer Street Art

A HISTORY OF QUEER STREET ART opens for a limited engagement in Los
Angeles with an opening reception on February 9th from 7-11pm.

Location: Physical Goods Gallery – 1621 1/2 Cahuenga Blvd. – Hollywood, CA 90028

A History of Queer Street Art opens for its month long engagement at Physical Goods
Gallery in the heart of Hollywood, CA on February 9th and will run through February 29th 2012. Originally curated and exhibited in San Francisco by SF based street artist Jeremy Novy, the exhibit is re-imagined and brought to Los Angeles by LA’s own Homo Riot.
A History of Queer Street Art, first presented in 2011 at the SOMArts Center in San Francisco, documents the work of queer and pro-queer street artists from around the world. Spanning more than two decades of work, the collection includes pieces by notable queer street artists as well as showcasing present day street activists.
At the heart of the History of Queer Street Art is a timeline of works collected by Novy which incorporates prints, stencils, stickers, photos, street pasters and even the gallery’s walls — creating a “street art experience” from a queer perspective. The Los Angeles version of the exhibition, produced by Homo Riot, will also feature new works by well-known European street artists like Paul Le Chien, Adrian & Shane, as well as American mainstays like Prvtdncr and Jilly Ballistic, and many other young and emerging queer street artists. Homo Riot has curated video presentations as well as art installations throughout the Hollywood gallery to further enhance the experience.

“It was important for me to bring this show to Los Angeles. Not only is LA one of the most
influential cities in the world when it comes to street art but historically, the city has been the site of many central movements in the struggle for LGBTQ equality. I hope this show will be seen as an important milestone in the queer artistic history of LA.”…Homo Riot

“It’s important to celebrate our history and to know the outstanding LGBT artists past and
present who are bold enough to express themselves in public. I hope this show inspires future artists to create art for the world to see,” Brian Meiler of Physical Goods Gallery.

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Lab Art Gallery Presents: Q & A “Legal Walls” A Conversation (Los Angeles, CA)

February 2, 2012 , , , ,

Legal Walls

LAB ART Presents Q&A – LEGAL WALLS

A CONVERSATION BETWEEN STREET ARTISTS AND LA CITY OFFICIALS

January 27th, 2012, Los Angeles, CA – LAB ART, the largest art gallery in North America dedicated to Street Art, opens up a new era in the Los Angeles art scene by creating a dialog between LA City Officials and Street Artists with their new panel discussion ‘Q&A – LEGAL WALLS.’ LAB ART is thrilled to bring a new conversation to the LA art scene where LA City Officials sit down with Street Artists and discuss how the policies they created really affect the Artist.

Representing the City of Los Angeles is ‘Tanner the Planner’ the well known Los Angeles city planning official who is cited by LA Weekly as single-handedly raising the issue of the 2007 controversial public mural moratorium and helping to rewrite the Mural Policy to lift the moratorium. Showing the support of the Los Angeles City Counsel for public art will be Council Member John Darnell of District 5.

Lydiaemily, Activist & Street Artist who was arrested by the LAPD and made an example of by the District Attorney for practicing her craft on the streets of LA, now gets a chance to create a practical dialog with the City that arrested her. Not something to miss.

“Our society seems to have a difficult time accepting responsibility, and as a guy who paints on walls I guess that means that I do as well.  As our attention span shortens from our sugar high, democracy has been replaced by capitalism. Rome is falling again. Hold on. Meanwhile let’s play in the streets and have a good laugh.” – DOC

Exclusive Street Artist DESIRE OBTAIN CHERISH (DOC) will be rounding out the panel as an artist who straddles both the urban world of street art and the high concept world of advertising as a graduate of Parsons. He recently contributed to the international Street Art scene by taking part in the Madrid Street Advertising Takeover (MaSAT) in Spain.

Starting @ 7PM till 9PM ‘LAB Art Presents Q&A – LEGAL WALLS, a A CONVERSATION BETWEEN STREET ARTIST AND LA CITY OFFICIALS’ will feature the following talking points.

– The Question of Materials : Who creates the official guide for muralists?

– Subject Matter : Who sets the ‘acceptable standards’ for independent walls?

– Existing ‘illegal’ Murals : How does the new policy effect existing murals? Will there be a ‘grandfather’ clause?

– Sponsor Art : What are the guidelines to distinguish ad from art? Where does sponsored art fall?

‘Tanner the Planner’ will be starting the night off with a quick presentation covering the following –

 

  • new murals have been banned in LA since 2002 due to an attack on LA’s public art exemption by the outdoor advertising industry.
  • In October 2011, the City Council voted to advance a “time/place/manner” administrative permit for murals;
  • City planner Tanner Blackman has the responsibility of drafting new mural regulations, workshopping the proposals with the public, and guiding the new ordinance through the legislative process.

About LAB ART –

LAB ART Los Angeles is dedicated to an alternative exhibition of street art and installation. The gallery features works of more than 30 of the most prominent and up-and-coming names of the Los Angeles Street Art scene and beyond. Spanning 6,500 square feet of gallery space, LAB ART offers art collectors and art lovers a dynamic roster of vibrant and thought-provoking exhibitions.
Tanner Blackman –
Tanner Blackman is a planner for the Code Studies Section of the City of LA’s Department of City Planning and an adjunct professor of urban planning at USC’s Price School of Public Policy.  He has taught in the Future Initiatives Program (SCIFI) at the Southern California Institute of Architecture.  He is responsible for drafting LA’s citywide mural ordinance.
Lydiaemily –
Lydiaemily Archibald is a political activist, and both a street and fine artist. Her fine art has been shown in galleries world wide. She has produced murals throughout California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.

DESIRE OBTAIN CHERISH  (DOC) –

DESIRE OBTAIN CHERISH lives and creates in Los Angeles. He graduated from Parsons and has won awards creating advertising campaigns, composing music, and art directing fashion magazines. DOC has gained respect for his sharp wit and graphic style on both the streets and in galleries. He has been attracting an international reputation as well by contributing to the Madrid Street Advertising Takeover (MaSAT) in Spain 2011, as well as numerous gallery shows across the US.

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Hush Levitates in San Francisco

January 30, 2012 , , ,

Rising deities in a darkened house of worship, the new geisha-like figures silently rise above your earthbound concerns and hover, gestural hands signalling a blessing for all who enter. These new works by Street Artist and fine artist HUSH at 941 Geary impart a serenity even as they swirl in patchwork brocades and Maypole strips of holy aerosol tags. Well lighted and well appointed, these near theatrical figures pierce the veil, solemnly, in search of a shabby gilded cosmos as Hush’s marrying of styles ultimately creates a new one at this show.

HUSH (photo © Rachael & Hugh @ Studio Hush)

HUSH (photo © Rachael & Hugh @ Studio Hush)

HUSH installation shoot. (photo © Rachael & Hugh @ Studio Hush)

HUSH (photo © Rachael & Hugh @ Studio Hush)

HUSH (photo © Rachael & Hugh @ Studio Hush)

HUSH (photo © Rachael & Hugh @ Studio Hush)

HUSH (photo © Rachael & Hugh @ Studio Hush)

HUSH (photo © Rachael & Hugh @ Studio Hush)

For further information regarding this show, sales inquiries, gallery hours and location click here.

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Images of the Week 01.29.12

Images of the Week 01.29.12

January 29, 2012 , , , , , , , , , ,

The streets have been seeing an uptick in socio-political messages recently, whether because of the Occupy protests, or because artists are exercising their speech in low cost, low-tech, person-to-person methods. The very personal nature of this kind of messaging actually feels impactful when it catches your eye with a sense of intention, grabbing you by the ear and making you think. This week we have Street Art  commentary about housing, class inequality, the abuse of poser, erosion of privacy and fears of a police state. It makes sense that art on the streets is reflecting us back to ourselves.

Here’s our weekly interview with the street; this week featuring Buff Monster, Cash4, Cope, Dirty Teddies, Ema, Enzo & Nio, Essam, Faile, Hush, Ment, Shiro, XAM, and XXX.

ESSAM. A more conceptual culture-jamming series of new signs in certain New York neighborhoods is meant as a way to raise awareness by an Iraq war veteran turned civil libertarian, according to news reports published recently. This sign warns about alleged plans for Police surveillance drones could be ubiquitous in society. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Wolf rides, anyone? Faile (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Hush gets to know some of the local neighbors while busy at work in San Francisco (© courtesy Hush)

Hush has been on the street in San Francisco this week (photo exclusively for BSA © courtesy of Hush). Stay tuned for a Hush special feature on Monday of his current show.

Ema (photo © Jaime Rojo)

The billionaire Mayor of New York is taking a hit here from this Street Art poster by Enzo & Nio. Styled as Marie Antoinette, Michael Bloomberg is portrayed as a haughty royal who is disconnected from the rabble, and cares not a wit. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

A masters graff wall in Miami (photo © Jaime Rojo)

XAM is addressing the ongoing bank mortgage crisis in the US with this street sculpture installation on Skid Row in Los Angeles (photo © XAM)

Cash4 with Ment (photo © Jaime Rojo)

You see! XXX (photo © Jaime Rojo)

You can always spot the tourist dinosaurs with their fanny packs in Times Square. Dirty Teddies (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Untitled (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Dabs & Myla: Carlos Gonzalez Talks About His Video

January 26, 2012 , , , , , ,

Last month photographer and video artist Carlos Gonzalez tagged along with Street Art duo Dabs & Myla in Los Angeles to do a bit more than the typical mural project. Following them through the steps of their own tradition, Carlos captured some of their humanity along with their serious skillz with cans. Since illuminating different angles of the creative process that provide you with more insight is always a BSA value, Carlos has appeared on these pages many times as photographer and videographer. This time he’s thinking his newest project is a documentary. Let’s see what you think.

Dabs & Myla (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Brooklyn Street Art asked Carlos a couple of questions about his experience shooting on the streets and how many arms he would like to have:

Brooklyn Street Art: You like both stills and video. How do you divide your time when shooting a new installation between still photography and video. Do you wish you could have eight arms to cover everything that happens?

Carlos Gonzalez: I still lean more towards still photography even though I have a background in film and graduated from film school. I like the concept of freezing a moment in time. That’s something you can’t capture in video. When one remembers a certain moment from the past, it’s always an image or a single moment that comes to mind. It’s hardly ever a scene playing out entirely. At least that’s my experience. So I feel like photography captures moments that will never happen again in a more honest way.

Of course this complicates things when making a video because in essence, I have to choose between capturing those moments in stills or filming the moment. The best approach: Be ultra aware of everything that’s going on so when the special moment happens, you’re ready to capture it before it’s gone. What’s really interesting about this Dabs & Myla video, and one factor which didn’t hit me till later on, was how uniquely close the mural footage looked to my photos. In this instance, it was just a matter of predicting when those moments would happen and capturing them as soon as possible. So yeah, it’s a balancing act and at times, I do wish I had multiple cameras all running at once from 5 different angles. But even then, I’m sure I would still kick myself for missing out on a small human expression, a certain movement, a wink or a smile. Case in point, the shot where Myla’s hair is blowing amidst the wind. I wish I had photographed that moment as it happened. I still look back and think, “how did I not get that shot?”

 Dabs & Myla (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Brooklyn Street Art: You begin the video with the artists going to a grocery store and debating over purchases. At the end we find out what they are used for.  Can you talk about the experience from your perspective?

Carlos Gonzalez: The experience was really interesting and I felt privileged to be a part of it, mostly because I understood how important this tradition is for Dabs Myla. Before the mural even took place we got together and talked about the tradition, their reasons for doing it, and I even saw early sketches of the mural. From that moment I understood how special this project could be and it simply came down to capturing the whole experience in the most honest way possible. The entire process really came down to capturing as much footage as possible. Sure there were ideas of how to edit the video. But those concepts are always changing so you don’t worry too much about those technical aspects in the start. At least with this video, which I treated like a short documentary, I was just concerned with making sure I filmed moments that feel unique and that have a human element that we can all relate to.

 Dabs & Myla (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

I never once asked Dabs Myla to replay a certain moment just for the camera. I basically asked them to go through their routine as usual and pretend that I was never there. This feeling definitely comes through the video.  From the second they walk into the grocery store to the final shot of the film, it’s all real emotions and actions bursting through the screen. So in a way, this video is not so much about a mural, but rather it’s a story about helping one individual with street art as the backdrop. The last part of the process was to edit the footage in such a way that put a question in the viewers’ minds about what the tradition may be and you keep their attention till the very end so there’s an emotional payoff.

 Dabs & Myla (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Brooklyn Street Art: When you’ve hung out with artists creating murals on the street, have you had occasion to meet people who live there?

Carlos Gonzalez: I have had the chance to meet individuals whose properties or walls are being painted on. And they’ve always being very supportive of the art. I’ve only had one instance where certain people or neighbors feel like street art is affecting their neighborhood in a negative way. So yes, there’s a bit of stigma still attached to graffiti and street art, but it’s clearly changing and it’s more acceptable now than it ever was. And hopefully videos like this one and others can change more people’s perspective about how this kind of art can have a much more positive aspect across different communities.

 Dabs & Myla (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

 Dabs & Myla (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

 

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Skewville’s “Playground” At White Walls in San Francisco

January 24, 2012 , , , , ,

“An idle mind is the Devils’ playground”

Why does that well-worn proverb remind us of Skewville? Check out the “Playground Tactics” on display at their new show in San Francisco’s White Walls Gallery and you’ll get a sense of these stickball kids and what it is like to grow up playing on the street. There aren’t any rubber mats to catch you before the pavement, the ball may smash the corner deli window and you may dent the hood of that car you’re standing on. But kids will be kids.

Mr. Deville shows BSA readers these cool pics of the opening of “Playground Tactics”, and you can see that play is an integral part of the Skewville process, where taking stuff too seriously is not advised, unless somebody sticks their bubble gum in your hair. Then you should chase them down and give them a beating.

Skewville “Playground Tactics” (Photo © Adam DeVille)

Skewville “Playground Tactics” (Photo © Adam DeVille)

Skewville “Playground Tactics” (Photo © Adam DeVille)

Skewville “Playground Tactics” (Photo © Adam DeVille)

Skewville “Playground Tactics” (Photo © Adam DeVille)

Skewville “Playground Tactics” (Photo © Adam DeVille)

Skewville “Playground Tactics” (Photo © Adam DeVille)

Skewville “Playground Tactics” (Photo © Adam DeVille)

Skewville “Playground Tactics” (Photo © Adam DeVille)

The Skewvilles are reaching a milestone in their twin lives: They are turning 80. They grow up so fast! It seems like just yesterday they were 76. Join the Celebrations at Factory Fresh with a party and a retrospective of their work next week. For more information click here

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Fun Friday 01.20.12

Fun Friday 01.20.12

January 20, 2012 , , , , , , , , ,

Our top Stories for you on this Fun Friday:

  1. “These Boots Are Made for Walking” Nancy Sinatra (VIDEO)
  2. Pure Evil Goes Pop! Saturday at Corey Helford (LA)
  3. Ludo in Rome Saturday
  4. Ryan Seslow and Borbay
  5. Cheap Art at the Affordable Art Fair This Weekend in LA
  6. FAILE ON FILM: From Ride5 Films (VIDEO)
  7. RETNA with Primary Flight in Miami (VIDEO)
  8. Herakut for NUART 2011 (VIDEO)
  9. En Masse at “Art San Diego” 2011 by Fred Caron (VIDEO)

<<<<<>>>>><<<<>><><><><><>>><<

First we’d like to ask that all the Ladies get up from the desk and do some strutting around the office in high heel boots. That should liven up an otherwise grey winter day right? Come on boots, start walkin’ !

 

Pure Evil Goes Pop! Saturday at Corey Helford (LA)

Inspired by the relative ease of reproducing masterworks by so-called “copy villages” in China, as well as the reductivist assessment the market does to an artist’s body of work, Street Artist Pure Evil is knocking out versions of Jackie and Liz with black eyes dripping to the floor, just for fun.

Says the artist, “Edward Albee’s film ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ starring Taylor and Burton brilliantly illustrates a nightmare couple who use alcohol to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other. I was amazed at the film and so I did a painting of ‘Richard Burtons Nightmare’ / Liz Taylor’ and a print in 2 POP colourways and 2 months later, Liz died…”

Pure Evil Goes Pop! Opening on Saturday at Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City, Los Angeles.

http://www.coreyhelfordgallery.com
8522 Washington Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232

For further information regarding this show click here

Ludo in Rome Saturday

Parisian Street Artist LUDO travels to Rome for his solo show “Natures Revenge” opening on Saturday at the Wunderkammern Gallery.

The local paper tells about Ludo’s impending opening (© the artist)

Ludo in Los Angeles (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here

Ryan Seslow and Borbay

Local Brooklyn artist and Street Art enthusiast Ryan Seslow is having a show “Street Legal – Gratiffyti: Seslow & Borbay on Canvas” opening this Sunday at Iona College Arts Center in New Rochelle, NY.

For further information regarding this show click here

Cheap Art at the Affordable Art Fair This Weekend in LA

 

 

Almost 300 emerging and established artist show work this weekend in LA at the Affordable Art Fair. With prices from $100 to up to $10K. Be on the look out for C.A.V.E. Gallery at booth C-8 and for Thinkspace Gallery on booth B-9.

For further information, complete list of exhibitors, schedules and directions go to the Affordable Art Fair site here

FAILE ON FILM: From Ride5 Films (VIDEO)

Dang!  Did you see this video interview with the Faile twins yesterday on BSA? Brand New Faile Video – The 1986 Challenger Crash and It’s Impact

RETNA with Primary Flight in Miami (VIDEO)

Primary Flight teams up with RETNA in Miami to paint on Brimstone by Colin M Day.

Herakut for NUART 2011 (VIDEO)

A fine film of the adorable duo in action at Nuart this year as they stretch their imaginations for an installation that is nothing short of, and more than, set design.

En Masse at “Art San Diego” 2011 by Fred Caron (VIDEO)

 

 

 

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Corey Helford Gallery Presents: Pure Evil. Pure Evil Goes Pop! (Culver City, CA)

January 19, 2012 , , , , , , ,

Pure Evil

Corey Helford Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
presents new works by
PURE EVIL – Pure Evil Goes Pop!

Opening Reception Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 7-10pm On View January 21 – February 8, 2012

On Saturday, January 21, 2012, Corey Helford Gallery will present PURE EVIL GOES POP! PURE EVIL’s first solo exhibition at the gallery.

“The show is inspired by Warhol and Rosenquist and by the 60’s and is a departure from a lot of the street art based work I have been doing.. I was inspired by Warhol’s diaries and his manic obsession to paint beautiful famous people. At a certain point he realised that he had kind of lost the plot, and he was kind of losing ground to new school graffiti artists like Basquiat and Haring and they gave him the boot up the arse he needed.

I was inspired by an email I got from a copy village in China, they sent me a list of all the paintings from the world of art that they could reproduce for me and I was struck by the fact that they had distilled Warhol’s entire career down to 3 works, an electric chair, a Jackie Kennedy and a Liz Taylor.. All available for cheap ! A whole life that had been turned into 3 tiny thumbnails available to buy NOW. Warhol would have loved the joke. I decided to run with the idea and turn myself into a copy village .

Edward Albee’s film ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ starring Taylor and Burton brilliantly illustrates a nightmare couple who use alcohol to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other. I was amazed at the film and so I did a painting of ‘Richard Burton’s Nightmare’ / Liz Taylor’ and a print in 2 POP colourways and 2 months later, Liz died… Sales started to grow as the obituaries and TV specials morbidly repeated the same details of her life and her loves over and over again. “

The upstairs gallery will feature new works by UK artist Pure Evil. Inspired by Warhol, Rosenquist and the 60s, the collection entitled -Pure Evil Goes Pop!- is a departure from the artist$)A&Ps street art work and cel- ebrates Warhol&Ps obsession with capturing beautiful, famous people. Icon Elizabeth Taylor is immortalized in the painting -Richard Burton&Ps Nightmare,- created from a palette of strange hues with subliminal meanings.

-I have kept this whole collection of paintings very simple,- Pure Evil explains. $)A!]The features of the women are simplified down to the most basic lines possible, cut into three stencil layers with a sharp blade, and labori- ously sprayed to build up the faces. The eyes drip painted tears, the product of broken dreams of love.!\
The opening reception for -Pure Evil Goes Pop!- and -It$)A&Ps a Jungle Out There- by Eric Joyner is on Saturday January 21 at Corey Helford Gallery. The reception is open to the public, and the exhibition will be on view through February 8, 2012.

8522 Washington Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232 T: 310-287-2340

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