In a career spanning almost 30 years, RISK has impacted the evolution of
graffiti as an art form in Los Angeles and worldwide. RISK gained major
notoriety for his unique style and pushed the limits of graffiti further
than any writer in L.A. had before: He was one of the first writers in
Southern California to paint freight trains, and he pioneered writing on
“heavens,” or freeway overpasses. At the peak of his career he took
graffiti from the streets and into the gallery with the launch of the
Third Rail series of art shows, and later parlayed the name into the
first authentic line of graffiti inspired clothing. RISK has continued
to work on numerous Hollywood projects for movie and music video sets,
including the film Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and videos for The
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, Bad Religion and Michael Jackson.
Today, RISK is still involved with graffiti, and shows his work
worldwide. In 2011, RISK was a featured artist in Art In the Streets,
the first comprehensive museum survey of graffiti and street art. Following an outdoor installation at the London Pleasure Gardens and UK
gallery show on view this summer during the 2012 Olympics, RISK debuts “Old Habits Die Hard,” and is his first solo exhibition at the gallery and his most comprehensive to
date. For the show, RISK returns to his graffiti roots with a series of
traditional work that celebrate his iconic lettering style,
self-described as “organized chaos" all delivered in classic RISK fashion.
RISK "Old Habit Die Hard"
"RIS"
Spray Paint on License Plates 96" x 48"
"Good Times #1"
Spray Paint on Neon Steel 48" x 48"
"Risk Aqua Blue Tag"
Spray Paint on License Plates 72" x 96"
"
"Pink Elephant" with collaboration with OG Abel
Spray Paint and Acrylic on Fiberglass 84" tall
Risk
The letter "H" out of whole alphabet set
Top: "Good Times #1"
Bottom: "Good Times #3" Spray Paint on License Plates 48" x48"
Entitled “Hello, Pretty, Pretty”, Colin Christian’s first solo exhibition
with Corey Helford Gallery pays tribute to the Black Queen of Sogo from
the 1968 cult film “Barbarella”. Internationally known for his
glamorous sci-fi-esque female figures crafted from fiberglass, Christian
describes his aesthetic as “optimistic futurism with a giggle”. His
large-scale sculptures capture beauty in many forms from futuristic
portraits of Cleopatra and Hello Kitty to ultra-mod Orbit Chairs made
from fiberglass, steel and faux fur. Christian will unveil twelve new pieces, featuring luxe textures that
incorporate glitter and sequins as well as darker overtones addressing
transhumanism. He adds, “I wanted to push it as far as light and dark
goes, both figuratively and literally”. Striking a blend of
fashion, 60s pop art and 70s interior design, “Hello, Pretty, Pretty”,
references a wide range of influences from Christian’s life. He
notes,“‘Zoofy’ was inspired by my sister-in-law’s traffic accident. It
features a gothic corseted girl in eighteen-inch heels with a metal
support frame on wheels so that she could walk. Another piece, my first
major black figure, ‘Superflyhoney’ is a nine and a half foot tall, 70s
inspired futuristic girl. Wearing a painted on rubber cat suit with
giant space flares, she is based on my love of 70s soul and disco”.
Colin Christian "Hello, Pretty, Pretty"
"Humanoid Series-Vigilante"
Fiberglass 24" x 24"
"Glitterbomb"
Fiberglass 40" x 24"
Top: "Ceremony" Fiberglass 14" x 24"
Bottom: "Lovely" 16" tall
"Babs"
Silicon, fiberglass & paillettes 38" tall
"Hello, Pretty, Pretty"
Fiberglass and swarovski crystal 66" tall
"Transhumanexchange"
Fiberglass and silicon 20" x 36"
"Inner Vacation (Capsule Series)"
Fiberglass, silicon and color changing LED lighting
"Zoofy"
Fiberglass, silicon and steel 34" x 84" x 24"
"Superflyhoney" front
Fiberglass and silicon 48" x 120" x 36"
"Superflyhoney" back
Fiberglass and silicon 48" x 120" x 36"
Colin Christian was born in London on March 30, 1964 to a loving and
outgoing mother. Apart from art classes, he hated school, and at the age
of 15, he left to live in Morocco with his family. The cultural
difference was very liberating, and upon his return to England at 16, he
worked at a record music store. In 1982 he became a DJ and stage
manager for a large nightclub in the south of England where he met his
wife Sas. In 1992 Colin moved to the U.S where he and his wife started a
small business making latex clothing for fetish stores around the
country. Their work was featured in Penthouse and Skin Two magazines.
Taking what he had learned from clothing manufacturing and combining it
with his interest in movie special effects, Colin produced fiberglass
figures and displays. In 1998, he produced his first production figure,
an anime girl called “Suki,” towering seven feet tall and anatomically
correct. Colin decided to put his career on hold for a few years to take
up commercial sculpture. A robot he made for the American Heart
Association was interviewed by Katie Couric on The Today Show, and he
also constructed the world’s largest mousetrap for pest control company
Truly Nolen, which is now featured in the Guinness Book of World
Records. Colin works full time on his original sculptures, finding
inspiration in old sci-fi movies, pinup girl/supermodels, anime, ambient
electronic music and H.P. Lovecraft. In 2004, he started using silicone
in his sculptures, a difficult material to use but one that helps him
achieve his goal of true cartoon realism, a line drawing made flesh. He
is not looking to create every imperfection and flaw, but to take the
exaggerations and perfections of cartoons and make them into a realistic
3D form.
To learn more about RISK and his art, please visit here:
To learn more about Collin Christian and his art, please visit here:
To learn more about the Corey Helford Gallery, past, present and future shows, please visit here:
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