Manhattan’s Leo Kesting Gallery has a group show opening next week with some of my favorite emerging artists. Dead Letter Playground: A Collection of Contemporary Street Art opens June 24th (from 7pm-10pm) and has artwork from Carolyn A’Hearn, Chris Stain, Clown Soldier, Dain, DickChicken, Doze Green, Elbowtoe, Elle, Ellis G, Faro, Gaia, Head Hoods, Imminent Disaster, Jen.Lu, Jordan Seiler, Know Hope, Laura Meyers, Lee Trice, Love Me, Matt Siren, Mister Never, Nicola Verlato, Peru Ana Ana Peru, Phil Lumbang, Shark Toof, Anthony Michael Sneed and Sweet Toof. Of course, the show also includes one of my least favorite artists, DickChicken, but nobody’s perfect (ps, because I know that somebody is going to give me shit for that comment, I’d like to clarify: I actually don’t mind DickChicken’s tag or find it offensive or anything. I just don’t think he makes anything remotely interesting indoors). The show runs through July 18th.
Here’s some of the work that will be at Dead Letter Playground:
According to The World’s Best Ever, The Barnstormers, David Ellis’ art collective, has a show at Joshua Liner opening March 18th. Should be really great.
Here are just some of the artists in the show:
Alex Lebedev, Alice Mazorra, Bluster One, Che Jen, Chris Mendoza, Chuck Webster, David Ellis, Dennis McNett, Doze Green, GION, Guillermo Carrion, James Lynch, Joey Garfield, Jose Parla, Kenji Hirata, Kiku Yamaguchi, KR, MADSAKI, Manny Pangilinan (WELLO), Martin Mazorra, Maya Hayuk, Mikal Hameed, Mike Houston, Mike Ming, Miyuki Pai Hirai, Naomi Kazama, Pema Brush, Romon Kimin Yang (Rostarr), Shie Moreno, Swoon, West One, Yuri Shimojo and more.
A couple of ago, I posted some pictures of Doze Green’s latest solo show at Jonathan LeVine Gallery in NYC. I hate to be too repetitive, but today I found this nice video tour of the show which offers some insights in the work.
Yes. Doze Green and Josh Keyes. Does it get any better?
On Saturday, three shows open at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York City. They are solo shows for Josh Keyes, Saelee Oh and Doze Green. Honestly, I have no idea about Saelee Oh, but Josh Keyes and Doze Green are two very talented artists.
Doze started out writing graffiti and was a b-boy with the legendary Rock Steady Crew, but now his work has transformed to a point that most people would never realize that Doze has picked up a spray can. To me, that transformation is evidence that Doze Green takes his art more seriously than 90% of the artists out there. I’ve got a few paintings by Doze Green in my house, and his painting at SCOPE Miami was quite impressive, so I am anxiously waiting this new work. Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed that Doze Green has been put in the Project Room instead of the main gallery. After all, he just did that project in Vegas with artists like Jenny Holzer and Richard Long.
And of course, Josh Keyes. Yes, online, his work looks like something that could be done by any talented graphic design student in Adobe Illustrator, but you have to see these paintings in person before you judge to harshly. I was blown away the first time I saw Josh’s work in the flesh. The detail is spectacular. He is one of the few artists I like whose paintings fall into that typically very boring “environmental disaster” genre.
Jonathan LeVine Gallery is going to be THE PLACE TO BE Saturday night in New York.
There is so much going on next week in Miami, that some events are bound to be lost in the sea of parties and paintings. I’ve recently come across a few events lesser-known that have gotten me pretty interested.
ART BURN, the most combustible art show in the world, will combine an international selection of original art with fire. Original works on canvas, wood and paper by a selection of more than three dozen international artists will be displayed and then flambeed in Miami on the evening of Thursday, December 3, 2009 at sunset. The exhibition/grilling, curated by NYC artist El Celso, will take place in the Wynwood Arts District, within walking distance of Miami’s lesser contemporary art fairs.
An exclusive selection of more than three dozen exceptional pieces by the hottest renowned artists and sizzling, cutting-edge newcomers will be displayed from 1pm until sundown. After the brief exhibition, all of these original works will be burned for the public’s viewing pleasure. Nothing is for sale.
Venue
TBA
Duration and opening hours
Thursday, December 3, 2009
One day only from 1pm to sunset.
This line up looks great. I’m especially looking forward to seeing Stephan Doitschinoff aka Calma’s piece.
Calma
Here’s the full line up:
Pedro Barbeito, Melissa Brown, Stephan Doitschinoff (aka CALMA), Doze Green, Luis Macias, Christof Mascher, Fernando Mastrangelo, Dave McDermott, Ted O’Sullivan, Jeff Soto, Christoph Steinmeyer, Ouattara Watts, Andrzej Zielinski and Kevin Zucker.
And of course, it’s at SCOPE, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find.
Curated by James and Karla Murray, authors of best-selling titles Store Front-The Disappearing Face of New York, Miami Graffiti, Broken Windows and Burning New York, the exhibition will feature a selection of work from today’s top street artists. This groundbreaking exhibition, set to take place in a 4,000 square foot venue in the Midtown Arts District, will be the largest of its kind in Miami.
Exhibiting artists include: 131 Projects (Argentina), Aiko Nakagawa (Japan), Armogedon 2057 (Armenia), Billi Kid (Colombia), Crome (Miami), Cycle (NYC), David Cooper (NYC), Doze Green (NYC), Ewok One 5MH (NYC), Flip (Brazil), Ghost aka Cousin Frank (NYC), Jana Joana (Brazil), Lady Pink (Ecuador), Nina (Brazil), Shiro (Japan), Smael (Brazil), Sofia Maldonado (Puerto Rico), Suiko (Japan) and Vitché (Brazil).
Graffiti Gone Global Show Info: Location
3252 NE 1st Avenue
Suite 101
Miami, FL 33127
General Hours
Friday, December 4: 12 – 8pm
Saturday, December 5: 12 – 9pm
Sunday, December 6: 12 — 3pm
I’m a huge fan of Doze Green. He might just be my favorite of the old school graffiti scene. That’s why I’m so excited about the latest video from WalrusTV. If you like Doze, you have to check this out:
Artnet.com is having an online urban art auction, which began July 7th and runs through July 23rd. The catalogue contains works by many of the major names in the scene, from the 80s through today, such as Dondi, Crash, Haring, Basquiat, Barry McGee, Banksy, Nick Walker, Faile and Shepard Fairey. There are also some strange, albeit nice, inclusions such as Mr. and Jim Houser, as well as some weaker urban choices, but on the whole this auction is definitely worth checking out as there is a good range of pieces in it.
It is also quite well-presented and easy to use; you can either scroll the catalogue page by page or search by artist. The biographical information is nice to have and I like the inclusion of sales results for comparable work – this is particularly handy if you are considering placing a bid.
I have highlighted a few of my personal favorites. Clicking on the image will take you to the lot.
Dondi White "Style Maneuver" 1983
Dondi White "Reflections", 1983
Keith Haring "Luna, Luna, a poetic extravaganza!" 1986
Keith Haring "Untitled (DOG) Oil on Wood" 1983
Mr. "Untitled (Yellow Hair)" 1996
Banksy "Have A Nice Day" 2004
Nick Walker "Sweet Revenge" 2008
Jean-Michel Basquiat "Anti-Baseball Card Product" circa 1979
My French is pretty terrible (just got back from France, realized I couldn’t say much more than ‘merci’ after 9 months not taking the language at school), but what this video is still pretty cool, and I Love Graffiti was able to help sort out with the details about Le Tag.
Le Tag is an exhibit in Paris of graffti by 150 writers. It is currated by French architect Alain-Dominique Gallizia.
Artists in the exhibit include (and I can’t believe this first one) Taki 183, Seen, Doze Green, Phase2, and L’Atlas.
I know that in some ways Taki 183 is just one guy that the New York Times picked up on as an early tagger, but the article featuring him inspired so many people to start tagging, and he was one of the first to really get their name throughout New York City. I didn’t even realize he was still writing his name. The last I’d seen of Taki 183 was in Bomb It the movie, and he didn’t seem too interested in graffiti. Even though it’s “just a tag” and I really like Seen and some of the other artists in this show, Taki 183′s stuff is my personal highlight of Le Tag.