PERSUE PRINTS

Dave Persue, a member of TRANSCEND, has two new prints available. He has a new Bunny Kitty print here to promote his limited edition MTN spray can, and an anniversary print here celebrating his being an active Graffiti writer for the last 25 years. 

WORKING AN ANGLE

Fellow TRANSCEND member Augustine Kofie is having a solo show at Known Gallery, in LA. It will be his first show at Known Gallery as well as his first solo show since his Futurism exhibition at Zero1 Gallery, in 2009. He'll be showing 30+ works with his signature style including dense collage and assemblage on wood with yardstick framing, paintings on canvas and hand painted multiples. He's also created a soundtrack to run with the show which can be heard on Mixcloud. The show only runs for two weeks, though, so don't miss out. 

Opens: May 26, 2012 | 8-11pm

Known Gallery | 441 North Fairfax Avenue . Los Anglese, CA 90036

POESIA

This Friday is the opening of fellow TRANSCEND member Poesia's debut solo exhibition. I can't stress to you how huge this show is going to be. If you're in the area I urge you to go see Poesia's work. It's incredible. I'm sulking like a child because I cannot attend the show, myself.

Below is the exhibition text by Daniel Feral...

In this exhibition entitled, More Force than Judgement, Poesia draws inspiration from a quote by renaissance biographer Giorgio Vasari describing the work of Tintoretto. The quote resonates with Poesia because of his involvement over the past two decades with the graffiti movement. Graffiti as an art form has not usually been taken seriously because it is perceived as consisting of actions and aesthetics that have to do more with force than judgment. Art historians and collectors in the past have been unable to make the connections between the power of a spray painted tag on the street, a Pollock drip on a canvas, or a Tintoretto sketch on a piece of paper. These relationships are made synonymous on these canvases as a pointed metaphor about the importance of the graffiti writer's mark on art history, as well as on the physical world itself.

 In the paintings themselves, Poesia creates a direct dialogue with art history and graffiti's recently recognized, yet still contentious, central role in it in the new millennium. The compositions involve revised versions of old masterpieces that are influenced by the artist's history as a graffiti artist and the techniques and materials that he uses. As his traditional subject matter, he repaints historical masterpieces from the High Renaissance through the Baroque period. As his challenging commentary, he utilizes geometric abstraction to slice into them and graffiti tools wielded with an expressionistic stroke to disperse and obscure them. Poesia uses this visual dialectic to create a simile between new millennium masters and their historical counterparts, thereby making a statement that elevates both the art form and their practitioners, as well as progressing it's stylistic palette into the future.

Opening Reception: Friday, May 4, 2012 RSVP
Music: tba
Exhibition on view: May 4 – June 16, 2012

Opening Reception is part of the South FIRST FRIDAYS monthly art walk, May 4, 2012. View the full schedule of exhibitions at participating venues: http://www.southfirstfridays.com

http://poesiatranscend.com/
http://galleryad.com/

DAVE PERSUE

Dave Persue has been a good friend and collaborator for many years. I first met Dave when I moved to San Diego. I didn't know any writers but somehow I managed to meet a large group of them at one time. Dave and I connected over our love of Goth and Industrial music... not really a popular genre for your typical Graffiti writer in the early 90's. Anyway, he and I soon began painting together a lot. His use of color, the ease at which he paints and his flawless execution are things I continue to admire about Dave's work. And his famously adorable Bunny Kitty, the post apocalypse, magical suit wearing, spray painting super hero has seen the world. Here's a few of my faves from Dave...

And the famous Bunny Kitty surrounded by the Booger monsters...

Dave recently launched a new website with goods for sale. You can buy limited edition prints, original art and cool t-shirts.

Dave is also going to be showing some new works on canvas at Known Gallery for the Sesame Street show running April 28-29th. The show is presented by Seventh Letter & Neff Headwear and is benefiting City of Hope's Department of Pediatrics. Here's the show card...

KINGS CROSS

I've shared the work of Steve More once before, but the newest work he's recently completed is incredible, and I have to share. Instead of writing out a big explanation of the monumental project that Steve, Remi Rough, Augustine Kofie and LX.One took on, I'll just link you to Steve's blog and you can see all the images there. However, I'm sharing a few images below to get you motivated...

One of my favorites from the group of new work...

And a collaboration with good friend Remi Rough...