Street Artists Unite

June ended with a bang! This unique event with artist and photographer was a huge success and sharing wall space with so many talented artists put it over the top. Aside from the collab, each artist presented a solo piece.

“This ‘collabo’ exhibition features Hank O’Neal’s (aka XCIA) oversized photographs of classic street art compositions ‘photo-bombed’ by the following artists: Army of One, AV ONE, BTA, COPE2, CRASH, ENX, Fumero, Kid Lew, Screwtape, SEE One, Chris Stain, TMNK, & Robots Will Kill.”–Dorian Grey Gallery

“Iconic New York images included a Richard Hambleton/Jean-Michel Basquiat collaboration from 1982; Richard Hambleton’s “Shadowmen” series from the early 1980’s; and an unexpected look at Lady Gaga.” — www.seeoneart.com

My collab with Hank O’Neal was with his ‘Lady GooGaw’ photo (from his book “XCIA’s Street Art Project”). I immediately thought of pop culture icons, as Lady Gaga is, and Andy Warhol who spearheaded the PopArt Movement in the 1960’s. And each of these icons set the stage for their predecessors. Without Grace Jones and her avant garde futuristic fashion taste, or Madonna with her rebelious, punk style, we may not have the same Lady Gaga of today.

I went back into my past and brought out the approach from the days when I created pure abstract art. I included two Basquiat references, one with clown face Andy Warhol’s stick figure holding up boxing gloves. This is a reference regarding Warhol and Basquiat’s show in the 80’s with the boxing poster promotion. Also, Basquiat is the gestured blue stick figure holding a paint brush and spray can with a little Samo crown.

I incorporated the word bubble with unedited, raw writing and left the actual moment of the thought remain without care; as I envisioned Jean Michel would have.

I felt really loose with this piece and had fun applying a more liberal painterly application… treating each panel differently and incorporating ‘cut and paste’ collage, oil pastels, stencil, spray paint, acrylic and brush all fused together.

We had a lot of fun..meeting new people and shaking hands with smiling faces. Even the ‘Diva’, Martha Cooper came by. Josh Geyer captured a one-of-a-kind photo(seen here) of both these iconic photographers (and authors) of graffiti and street art.

Many thanks to Chris and the Dorian Grey Gallery, the sponsor BOMB LAGER, Hank O’Neal, Ken Simon, Josh Geyer and all who made this event such a success.

The exhibition will be up until August 5th at the Dorian Grey Gallery. 437 East 9th Street @ Avenue A. (515-244-4126)