All posts tagged: Los Angeles

Fun Friday 11.25.11

November 25, 2011 ,

Today is traditionally a day of shopping here in New York but we don’t have much coin to spare, so what’s next on the agenda? It is sunny and fresh outside right now so we’re thinking of going to take a walking tour of the neighborhood – if only to process yesterdays Thanksgiving feast and the 2 pieces of pumpkin pie and whipped cream that were piled on in a Jack Daniels-induced stupor deep in the night. You could go to MoMA to see the DeKooning retrospective and at the same time the murals Diego Rivera made for the museum in the early ’30s, but that will cost you an entrance fee unless today is one of their Free Friday nights. Sometimes it is just as fun to hit the gallery of the streets, to stretch you legs and employ a bemused attitude as busy shoppers are buzzing in and out of stores keeping the economy going.

Here’s some cool stuff you may also be interested in:

1. LUDO in a Solo Show at The Garage “Super Discount” (Amsterdam)
2. “East West Connection”, curated by Arrested Motion (Hong Kong)
3. Jorge Rodriguez-Gerarda Solo Show Now Open (Barcelona)
4. Cryptic Solo on Saturday Night at Hold Up (LA)
5. David Walker “Brides on Fire”
6. “Contemporary Istanbul” An Urban and Contemporary Art Fair
7. “Surface Tension” at Ambush Gallery in Sydney
8. “Peeled, Pasted and Posted” at Gift to Gab Gallery
9. The Bishop, Augustine Kofie and Remi/Rough by Agents of Change (VIDEO)
10. “Outside In” Movie Trailer: The Story Of Arts In The Streets (VIDEO)
11. Blek le Rat 30 Years Later By Spencer Keeton Cunningham (VIDEO)

LUDO in a Solo Show at The Garage “Super Discount” (Amsterdam)

French Street Artist LUDO is having a solo show in this cool private space in Amsterdam, opening today.

LUDO (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here

“East West Connection”, curated by Arrested Motion (Hong Kong)

Tanley Wong tells us about this curatorial project for an art show that he and Arrested Motion are throwing in Hong Kong. Featured in the show at Above Second Gallery is a lineup of fresh artwork from artists such as Shepard Fairey, Faile, Tomokazu “Matsu” Matsuyama, Akino Kondoh, Nick Walker and more.

Shepard Fairey (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Participating Artists: Luke Chueh, Faile, Shepard Fairey, Evah Fan, Stella Im Hultberg, Tat Ito, Akino Kondoh, Travis Louie, Tomokazu Matsuyama, Brendon Monroe, Edwin Ushiro, Nick Walker, and Yoskay Yamamoto.

For further information regarding this show click here

Jorge Rodriguez-Gerarda Solo Show Now Open (Barcelona)

Jorge Rodriguez-Gerarda Solo Show at the Galeria Ignacio De-Lassaletta in Barcelona, Spain opens today to the public after the official opening last night. “Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada is a founder of the New York Culture Jamming movement and an innovator in the international urban art scene. Since the late 90´s he has been replacing the faces of cultural icons chosen by advertisers with the faces of anonymous people to question the controls imposed on public space.”

Jorge Rodriguez-Gerarda (image © courtesy of the gallery)

For further information regarding this show click here

You can also check out a fine interview on Fecal Face with Mr. Rodriguez-Gerada.

Cryptic Solo on Saturday Night at Hold Up (LA)

Street Art collective Cryptic is having a solo show in Little Tokyo tomorrow night,  “Sacred Syllables” at Hold Up Art.

Cryptik (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here

Also happening this weekend:

David Walker “Brides on Fire” opens today to the public at the Rook and Raven Gallery in London. Click here for more information.

“Contemporary Istanbul” An Urban and Contemporary Art Fair taking place this weekend in Instanbul, Turkey.  Click here for more information.

“Surface Tension” at Ambush Gallery in Sydney, Australia. Click here for more information.

“Peeled, Pasted and Posted” at Gift to Gab Gallery in San Jose, CA. Click here for more information.

The Bishop, Augustine Kofie and Remi/Rough by Agents of Change (VIDEO)

 

“Outside In” Movie Trailer: The Story Of Arts In The Streets (VIDEO)

 

Blek le Rat 30 Years Later By Spencer Keeton Cunningham (VIDEO)

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Hold Up Arts Presents: Cryptik “Sacred Syllables” (Los Angeles, CA)

November 23, 2011 , , , , , , ,

Cryptik

Cryptik (photo © Jaime Rojo)

CRYPTIK

SACRED SYLLABLES

With Live Screen Printing

by the Hit + Run Crew

OPENING RECEPTION ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2011

From 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

at

Hold Up Art

358 E. 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Exhibition will run through December 14, 2011.

 

Hold Up Art presents a new exhibition, Sacred Syllables, by Cryptik, whose bold calligraphy style and eastern-influenced graphics have become a Los Angeles street art staple. Inspired by the philosophies of the far-east and the historical importance placed on the written word, Cryptik’s wheat paste posters, stickers, and t-shirts, which feature traditional mantras and poetry, have become an artistic movement.

“The Cryptik Movement is a public art campaign dedicated to helping humanity evolve towards greater awareness and understanding through the use of compelling, iconic imagery that demands both scrutiny and reverie,” writes Cryptik in his manifesto. “The purpose of this organization is to facilitate the development of a deeper, more meaningful philosophy of life. Our main objective is to challenge people to think of other possibilities and to see a different reality; one that encompasses many ideologies, philosophies, and belief systems in order to help us better understand our place in the universe.”

Free of religious or political messages, Cryptik’s art is meant to provoke contemplation and act as a catalyst for a shift in consciousness. With an interest in concepts that don’t necessarily fit into any scientific paradigms, Cryptik plans to expand his exploration of words and imagery to include more esoteric and occult philosophies.

“If Art is a reflection of the artist’s soul, it is up to the artist to understand themselves before the audience can,” says Hold Up Art’s curator Brian Lee. “Cryptik is one of the very few artists in the street art scene who truly understands who he is, and how to visually communicate his message to an audience.”

Cryptik will be joined at the opening of Sacred Syllables by the Hit + Run Crew, who will be custom screen-printing throughout the event. Early arrival is suggested to guarantee custom printed shirt availability.

 

For more information about this and other exhibits,

please visit www.holdupart.com.

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Known Gallery Presents: POSE – KC Ortiz “White Wash” (Los Angeles, CA)

November 17, 2011 , , , , , ,

White Wash

POSE & KC Ortiz | Whitewash

Opening Reception Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 8‑11pm
On View November 19 – December 10, 2011

Known Gallery
441 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
T: 310-860-6263

On Saturday, November 19, graffiti artist POSE and photojournalist KC Ortiz will unveil Whitewash, their second exhibition at Known Gallery, and their most cohesive to date.

For POSE, Whitewash references society’s attempt to eradicate graffiti and stifle human expression. “Shortly after I started writing graffiti, Chicago took an extremely hard-line stance on its eradication, outlawing the sale of spraypaint and implementing Mayor Dayley’s Graffiti Blasters program,” POSE explains.

With this exhibition, POSE will recall a time before the buff. “I am digging into my fondest childhood memories of riding the train and seeing all the colors, letters and cartoon characters along the lines. Making these paintings has been an incredibly rich process, and it makes me thankful that no city official can eradicate my memories.”

POSE will show 15 new works in the main gallery. The work is rendered in his signature style—aggressive, hand-painted collages of pop-culture icons and ephemera—but feature deeper abstractions and new mediums. “I have six paintings on Plexiglass that were kind of an experiment,” POSE explains. “I wanted to be challenged by a new medium and process.”

For KC, Whitewash is about the people and places he photographs. “Much of the work I do covers those who have been ‘whitewashed,’ so to speak, by history and policy,” KC notes. “Specifically, the work I will be exhibiting is from West Papua and Burma. You won’t find either of those ‘nations’ on the map, as both have been essentially ‘whitewashed’ away. Burma has been renamed Myanmar by its ruling junta in order to establish the fantasy of a unified nation, and West Papua has been occupied by Indonesia since 1963 after a very controversial handover from the Dutch that was orchestrated by the United States.”

In the project room, KC will show 12 photographs of West Papua and Burma’s armed struggles. “The struggles are unified in their nature under the theme of resistance, the victimhood of whitewashing by the world at large, the beauty of their people, and the strength of the human spirit and dignity,” KC notes.

About the artists:

POSE
Hailing from The Windy City, POSE has made an indelible mark on a multitude of cities around the globe. Best known for his progressive letter style and technical precision, POSE is an influential contributor to the contemporary graffiti movement, and his work has appeared in numerous magazines, books and films. POSE grew up a half block from the CTA’s elevated train line, and started sneaking out to practice graffiti there in 1992. Coming of age during the golden era of Chicago graffiti, POSE put in endless work on the streets. His prolific output led him to become a local legend, and the city’s most internationally recognized graffiti artist. In addition to his achievements in graffiti, POSE set out to conquer every medium visual art has to offer—both on and off the streets. His artistic exploration led him to become a jack of all creative trades, with successful endeavors in the commercial and fine art worlds. POSE currently lives and works in Chicago, Illinois. He is a member of the acclaimed West Coast artist collective The Seventh Letter, as well as a founder of his own Chicago based design and art firm We Are Supervision. He has traveled internationally on his own and with The Seventh Letter, specifically to showcase his skills as one of the best graffiti artists out there. Almost two decades into his artistic career, POSE shows no signs of slowing down.

KC Ortiz
KC Ortiz is an award-winning, self taught photojournalist with a split base between his hometown of Chicago, Illinois and Western Thailand. Ortiz’s work focuses on the world’s forgotten and overlooked people and issues. He has covered conflict throughout Southeast Asia, focusing on the human suffering and the policies that enable conflict, as well as humanitarian issues throughout the world. The aim of his photography is to bring awareness to the masses of those that are suffering most, often times completely unseen by the majority. His work has appeared in A-Magasinet, Global Post, Juxtapoz, Newsweek, Time, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications across the globe. Ortiz’s work has been exhibited in a number of museums and galleries including The Newseum, The Corcoran, The Frontline Club, Known Gallery, Rivera and Rivera Gallery, Guerrero Gallery, and others. In 2011, Ortiz’s work was recognized with a first place award from the prestigious Pictures of The Year International.

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

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Gregory Siff – VIDEO PREMIERE – “G” Shot/Edited by Carlos Gonzalez

Gregory Siff – VIDEO PREMIERE – “G” Shot/Edited by Carlos Gonzalez

November 11, 2011

Hot off the video boards

Here’s the brand new video, less than an hour old, of Gregory Siff pouncing on an LA wall to prepare for his big solo opening tonight in LA. Big Ups to Carlos Gonzalez for slamming together an action packed video, timed perfectly to it’s musical score.

And the debut is all for you, the BSA readers.

Tonight – The Site Unscene Presents: “G” Gregory Siff Solo Show (Los Angeles, CA)

http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/2011/11/07/the-site-unscene-presents-g-gregory-siff-solo-show-los-angeles-ca/

See Carlos’ photos of Greg hitting up a wall on BSA from this week.

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Fun Friday 11.11.11

Fun Friday 11.11.11

November 11, 2011 , , , , , , , , , , ,

I think I missed the morning rush today because I hit the street earlier than usual… and got a seat on the subway (!) because I woke up at 5 a.m. thinking about Papandreou, Berlusconi, Merkel, Obama, and the 3 ring circus shaping up as the 2012 election. The great thing about worldwide impending calamity is, political hypocrisy and economic depression makes artists dig deeper for ways to portray both. That’s why we’re starting today’s Fun Friday with hi-larious satire by the number 16 puncher of all time, Mike Tyson. Always look at the sunny side peepul!

1. CAIN! Mike Tyson for Herman Cain 2012
2. K-Guy’s solo show “Iconic Irrigation”
3. TEEBS at Pawn Works (Chicago)
4. Gregory Siff’s solo “G” at The Site Unscene (LA)
5. Poster Boy in Brooklyn at Might Tanaka Saturday
6. Augustin Kofie “Circulatory System” at White Walls (SF)
7. “Art As A Weapon” (VIDEO)
8. “Luck Be A Lady” – a Frank Sinatra 1965 performance

CAIN! Mike Tyson for Herman Cain 2012

Give it up for Mike Ya’ll! He don’t know karate but he knows KaRazy… just like in the Matrix!

K-Guy’s solo show “Iconic Irrigation”

Opening today to the public at the London West Bank Gallery, a solo show by Street Artist K-Guy, who’s political and social indictments range from Catholic Church hypocrisy to international banking scams portrayed as “crisis”.

K-Guy’s commentary outside the tent village at Occupy London. (photo courtesy of Graffoto)

For further information on this show click here

TEEBS at Pawn Works (Chicago)

A multi-talented California based artist and musician, Mr Teebs’ solo show is called “Lady Luck” opening today in Chicago at Pawn Works Gallery.

Teebs. Still from the video “The Art of Teebs” by Theo Jemison.

To see the video click here

For further information regarding this show click here

Gregory Siff’s solo “G” at The Site Unscene (LA)

Brooklyn born actor, film maker, Street Artist, fine artist Gregory Siff has his solo show “G” today in Los Angeles.

Gregory Siff across a Wall (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

For further information on this show click here

See Greg hitting up a wall on BSA from this week.

Poster Boy in Brooklyn at Might Tanaka Saturday

There is only one, or maybe there are many, Poster Boy/s. The subterranean subway poster slicing hasn’t been so apparent for a minute, but maybe it’s because PB has been slicing at the old kitchen table in preparation for a proper show. “Not for Prophet” is the title, summoning up the Pharisees, the tax man, and the folks down on Wall Street. Let’s see who and what gets cut.

Poster Boy. Detail (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Image by Poster Boy. For further information regarding this show click here

Augustin Kofie “Circulatory System” at White Walls (SF)

Augustin Kofie solo show “Circulatory System” opens tomorrow at the White Walls Gallery in San Francisco.  Graffiti writer and fine artist. Old Skool Bomber. Wildstyle. Mid-Century Abstractionism. American Modernism. Choose One and Stick with it, right? Read our interview with him – Augustine Kofie in Studio

For further information regarding this show click here

“Art As A Weapon” (VIDEO)

Jeff Durkin documentary “Art As A Weapon” explores the intersection of Street Art, Democracy and Buddhisim. View the film’s teaser here.

Jeff’s film is currently in production please help him complete his film with your generous contribution by clicking on the Kickstarter link below:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/artasaweapon/art-as-a-weapon

“Luck Be A Lady” – a Frank Sinatra 1965 performance

Stick with me baby I’m the guy you came in with.

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Gregory Siff Across a Wall in Echo Park

November 7, 2011 , , , ,

Brooklyn born artist and actor Gregory Siff continues in a casually deliberate way to be everywhere he can to garner your eyeballs.  This weekend Carlos Gonzalez and his camera captured him stretching across a wall in LA as he prepares for his first solo show Friday at La Founderie, a huge raw warehouse in Echo Park with The Site UnScene.  Attracted to primary colors and basic geometry, the sometimes Street Artist here explodes the grid, breathing a lot of space into his hand patterned designs. Looks like it was a beautiful sunny California day and thanks to Carlos for letting BSA readers have a look.

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Instagram it! Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Gregory Siff (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Click on the link below to learn about Gregory Siff’s solo show on 11.11.11:

http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/2011/11/07/the-site-unscene-presents-g-gregory-siff-solo-show-los-angeles-ca/

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Paul Insect is Attracted to Light at the Barracuda Wall

November 1, 2011 , , , , , ,

The Barracuda Wall in Los Angeles is a safe outlet for Street Artists and graffiti artists to try out ideas without worrying that they have to look over their shoulder.  The boxing club inside is owned by Miguel De La Barracuda, thus it’s name and it’s a good spot to get seen, if only for minute before it’s replaced.

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

What this fight club gives the lie to is that Street and graff artists are somehow at odds with one another, a mythology propagated by young hot heads sometimes. In fact, this high profile wall in LA shows that most peeps are big enough to allow everybody to get a chance to express the creative spirit, and often they collaborate. A quick bit of Googling will show you a diverse list of work on the Barracuda wall over the last couple of years, including people like Ron English, Gabe and OG. Defer, Prime, Gabe88, Anthony Lister, Escif, Sanir, Gregory Siff, Shepard Fairey and AWR MSK, Hush, Chad Muska, Cyrcle, Free Humanity, and David Flores. It’s a never ending reinvention for the never ending traffic on Melrose Avenue, a gift from a business owner to his community and the artists.

Photographer and BSA collaborator Carlos Gonzalez captured some excellent night shots of  Street Artist Paul Insect at work on the wall one night last week. Masking out the portions of the wall for painting with a roll of masking tape, alternating sharp lines with drippy, Insect put up a pair of eyes to keep track of a piece by Risk below.

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

Paul Insect’s solo show “Triptease Revue” opens this Thursday at Post No Bills Gallery . For further information click on the link below:

http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/2011/10/24/post-no-bills-gallery-presents-paul-insect-triptease-revue-venice-beach-ca/

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“Homo Riot” Opening Devolves Into Orgy at Site Unseen

“Homo Riot” Opening Devolves Into Orgy at Site Unseen

October 29, 2011 ,

“The Homo Riot opening was a great success,” says JB Jones of The Site Unseen, who threw this solo show for one of the rare gay Street Artists who are out of the closet and on the corrugated metal walls. Part social activism and eroticism, this stencil heavy work on the streets of LA can range from inflammatory to banal, depending on the perspective. For some the content is about liberation, for others it’s a depiction of adult themes. Whatever the impression, it’s mere presence is a mirror to us, a reflection about how attitudes are evolving in the culture and it’s various subcultures. Not to mention that even 20 years ago images like this on the street would have had the longevity of a stick of juicy fruit.

When Homo Riot’s work was taken into the gallery, it was anyone’s guess. “I think many of the attendees had no idea what to expect since most people are only familiar with his street work.” In the end, cocktails were served, pictures were taken, numbers were exchanged and of course it all devolved into a big homosexual orgy, as one might expect.

A gallery full of homos no doubt. Homo Riot (photo © PhotoJenInc)

Homo Riot (photo © PhotoJenInc)

A screen in the workshop by Homo Riot (photo © PhotoJenInc)

A guest poses with the work of Homo Riot (photo © PhotoJenInc)

Homo Riot (photo © PhotoJenInc)

Homo Riot (photo © PhotoJenInc)

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An Organic Wall Grows in Los Angeles

October 20, 2011 , , , ,

The Magnet Wall. The Organic Wall. Street Art is drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Even if a city officially prohibits any form of uncommissioned Street Art, it probably has a few spots where artists can reliably put their wheat-pastes, stencils, stickers, even sculptures – a community nerve center that quickly gives an overview of the players in the local scene. Usually the art is covered instantly by more art and if it lasts a few days intact it has had a good run. Since Street Art is an ephemeral scene, the artists know this and they are not particularly bothered by the rapid turnover, knowing that their piece will be seen by their peers and the public at large.

brooklyn-street-art-leba-jaime-rojo-LA-magnet-wall-08-11-web

Leba’s cartoon illustration influenced work on this wall echos directly some sentiments of the Occupy Wall Street movement. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

We always think of the streets as an outdoor gallery, and recently in Los Angeles we checked out this magnet wall in the Arts District where it could not have been a more apt description. Hanging out for a little while on this block, we saw a group of four teens taking a casual walk on a sunny day pivoting to the wall to check out the new additions, to point, comment, joke, and pose with each other in front of their favorites – making faces and giving each other the rabbit ears in photos.  Minutes later a European tourist family, urban hikers with cameras and fannypacks, carefully scanned the patterns, textures and layers, taking photos and discussing their discoveries.  Even a bulky fella crossing the street to get into a van emblazoned with a plumbing company logo – paused for a second to snap a cellphone pic before rumbling down the street.

This LA wall is a bit of a community billboard; an outlet and a showcase, where Street Artists try out new stuff and sometimes express personal or political sentiments. It’s never the same, and usually interesting.

brooklyn-street-art-get-up-art--jaime-rojo-LA-magnet-wall-08-11-web

@Get Up Art (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-lydia-emily-jaime-rojo-LA-magnet-wall-08-11-web

Lydia Emily. You have been put on notice. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-artist-unknown-jaime-rojo-LA-magnet-wall-08-11-web-5

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-cs-jaime-rojo-LA-magnet-wall-08-11-web

UTV C/S (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-word16-jaime-rojo-LA-magnet-wall-08-11-web

Word 16 (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-artist-unknown-jaime-rojo-LA-magnet-wall-08-11-web-6

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-dont-lose-hope-jaime-rojo-LA-magnet-wall-08-11-web

Don’t Lose Hope (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-foh-jaime-rojo-LA-magnet-wall-08-11-web

FOH! (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-OKKO-jaime-rojo-LA-magnet-wall-08-11-web

OKKO! (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-I-love-la-jaime-rojo-LA-magnet-wall-08-11-web

Casper Loves LA! (photo © Jaime Rojo)

brooklyn-street-art-cryptik-jaime-rojo-LA-magnet-wall-08-11-web

Ghandi plays a role. Kryptik (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Homo Riot Presents: “Fist Pump” at Hold Up Art Gallery (Los Angeles, CA)

October 19, 2011 , , , , , , ,

brooklyn-street-art-homo-riot-hold-up-art-gallery

What: Hold Up Art and Work Magazine present Fist Pump, a exhibition of new work from internationally recognized, Los Angeles-based activist and street artist Homo Riot, whose highly charged, and sometimes sexually explicit imagery have became part of the city’s socio-political and physical landscape. Homo Riot’s message started out as a “fuck you” to the supporters of Prop 8, but has morphed into something larger and more profound; seen now as an emblem of pride and strength to the gay community. With drag queens, performance artists, and more eye-candy than a Weho Wednesday, this is the art event of the month and should not be missed.

When:  Saturday, October 22, 2011

Arrivals 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Reception ends at 11:00 PM

Where: Hold Up Art

Little Tokyo District of Downtown

358 E. 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Convenient Parking Structure Next Door

Who: Music by club favorite DJ Chris Bowen.

Live Performance Art Installations by Rafa Esparza and Trenton Szewczyk. Special appearance by Lady Bear (wearing a Homo Riot-designed ensemble).

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New Image Art Gallery Present: “Pure Logo” A group show curated by Skullphone (Los Angeles, CA)

October 18, 2011 , , , , , ,

Pure Logo
brooklyn-street-art-skullphone-new-image-art-gallery

curated by

Skullphone

October 22 – December 10, 2011

Opening Reception Saturday October 22,  7-10pm

New Image Art

7908 Santa Monica Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90046

New Image Art is pleased to announce PURE LOGO, a group exhibition co-curated by Los Angeles artist Skullphone, which features the diverse multimedia artists Evan Gruzis, Curtis Kulig, Takeshi Murata, Cleon Peterson, Skullphone, Paul Wackers and Hugh Ziegler.

PURE LOGO explores the omnipresence, necessity, form and functionality of logos as they metamorphose to communicate within increasingly brief discourses. The trajectory of each individual artist informs the exhibition’s overarching investigation of logos, both literal and symbolic, and links the artists through investigations of representation.

Evan Gruzis was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1979 and received his MFA from Hunter College.  His technically rigorous ink and watercolor paintings are known for their combination of seductive light and absurd, vacuous pop imagery.  In 2008, he published his first monograph, Dark Systems, in conjunction with a solo exhibition at Deitch Projects.  Gruzis belongs to numerous collections, including that of the Whitney Museum of American Art.  Currently, his work is on view in two solo exhibitions:  Exotic Beta at The Hole and Shadow Work at Nicole Klagsbrun, both in New York.  Abroad he is represented by DUVE Berlin and Galerie SAKS, Geneva. He lives and works in Brooklyn.

Curtis Kulig is best known for obsessively covering his canvases and the streets of New York City with the two-word phrase “Love Me.” An inversion of New York’s famous slogan, Kulig’s ubiquitous plea speaks at once to humans’ most primal desire and belies self-doubt and -criticism. “Whatever it’s become,” Kulig says, “It’s kind of my everything.” Kulig was born in North Dakota and got his first taste of creating in his father’s screen-printing shop at age 13.His work has been featured at Mallick Williams & Co, Leo Kesting Gallery, and NYEHAUS in New York; Subliminal Projects, in Los Angeles.

Multimedia artist Takeshi Murata‘s immersive, painstakingly hand-drawn animations exploit broken code and programming glitches to fracture video footage into hypnotic, pixelated distortions and flowing color fields. His evolving processes, visualized in computer-aided hand-drawn forms onscreen, shift and morph into organic forms that teem and pitch, creating images that at once gesture toward technological fragmentation and painterly abstraction. The Chicago-born artist received his BFA in Film/Video/Animation from the Rhode Island School of Design and his work has been exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo; Peres Projects, Los Angeles; and Deitch Projects, New York; among others. Murata lives in Saugerties, New York.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Cleon Peterson currently lives and works in Los Angeles. Peterson paints an anxiety-ridden dystopia where corruption and injustice plague the social order. Deviance prevails, as desperate characters struggle for power and control over their environment. The indiviudual is displaced and forced to navigate this brutal world alone, finding hollow bits of pleasure and meaning in violence, sex, religion and drugs. In this show Peterson has evolved full circle creating utopian symbols that are uniquely unrepresentative of any past movement. The Los Angeles-based artist has shown at galleries internationally, including Alice Gallery, Brussels; Deitch Projects, New York; and Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco.

Los Angeles-based Skullphone first gained notoriety on city streets in 1999 for his iconic image of a black-and-white skull holding a cell phone. He drew attention once again in 2008 when his work appeared on the then-new digital billboards above the streets of L.A. Skullphone’s Digital Media paintings document our world – one which is increasingly communicating with brief encounters via technology – through a laborious painting process. Through painted pointillism on mirror-polished aluminum panels, these images dislocate when the artwork is approached. Skullphone’s work has been shown at Mallick Williams & Co, New York; Subliminal Projects, Los Angeles; the Riverside Art Museum; and was featured in MOCA’s 2009 FRESH Silent Auction.

Paul Wackers‘s work is rooted in inventive means of figuration. “My work is first a response to the world and then a reaction to what is has to offer,” notes Wackers. The formal quality and sensibility of his work is reminiscent of a 17th-century Dutch still-life painter à la Margareta Haverman or Willem van Aelst merged with atmospheric, broken-down geometric landscapes or a diptych-inspired composition on a single canvas. In these works, dreamlike non-places are populated by objects and elements that interact as part of another world that is jarringly similar to our own. Trained in fine arts at the Corcoran College of Art and Design and as a painter at the San Francisco Art Institute, Wackers’ works have appeared in solo exhibitions at Eleanor Harwood Gallery, in San Francisco, and group exhibitions in Los Angeles, London and Brussels.

Hugh Ziegler originally hails from Richmond, Virginia, and lives in Los Angeles. He received his BFA in painting and art history from the Rhode Island School of Design and was awarded an artist fellowship at the Ox-Bow School of the Arts in Saugatuck, Michigan. Ziegler has exhibited his work in Los Angeles; Providence, Rhode Island; Saugatuck, Michigan; and Richmond, Virginia. In addition to contributing to Pure Logo, he’s currently creating a body of work for a December exhibition Johansson Projects, in Oakland.

New Image Art Gallery

Since 1994, New Image Art has been the most influential gallery contributing to the underground art movement on the West Coast. Founder and director, Marsea Goldberg, has been responsible for launching and fostering many of the most recognizable and sought-after artists in the contemporary and street art genres, including: Bäst, Cleon Peterson, Clare Rojas, Date Farmers, Ed Templeton, Jo Jackson, Neck Face, Osgemeos, and Retna. New Image Art continues to push boundaries and grow its roster of both established and rising talent.

www.newimageartgallery.com / info@newimageartgallery.com

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