Showing posts with label MSK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MSK. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Hello Kitty Hello Art! - Gallery Show & Book Release


Hello Kitty : Hello Art!
Gallery Art Show & Book Release


This past October 14th, 2012 from 1-6pm. Known Gallery, LA's top premier street art gallery and home of The Seventh Letter got together with Sanrio and unleashed a one day pop-up event at it's location in the Fairfax Market. Hello Kitty Hello Art! is a gallery art show and book release inspired and based on the beloved characters of Hello Kitty and Sanrio. Entire new works by some of the major top players in the contemporary and street art world took center stage at this one day pop-up event. Known Gallery main room was transformed in into a world of Hello Kitty through the eyes of "POSE". A well-known Los Angeles graffiti street artist and member of famed crews: The Seventh Letter and MSK. POSE is also the cover artist for the new Hello Kitty Hello Art! book by Roger Gastman by Abrams Books which was released at this show.

The back room was dedicated to other various artists who participated in this Hello Kitty extravaganza. Some of the artist included were: 64 Colors, Adam Wallacavage, AIKO, Caia Koopman, DABS MYLA, Kenton Parker, Niagara, RISK, Shepard Fairey (Obey), Simone Legno and many more. 

The auxiliary back room was open as well and provided the shop aspect of the event. Where show goers could purchase the Hello Art! book, limited edition screen prints and exclusive artist tees by The Seventh Letter. Some of these items are still available from Sanrio.com as well. 

In addition to all of this, about a dozen of the featured artists were available and on-hand to graciously signed copies of the new Hello Art! book. Some of the artists for the meet and greet were: POSE, Roger Gastman, DABS MYLA, RISK, Mr. Toast, Shark Toof, Adam Wallacavage, Tim Diet, Kenton Parker, Deph, Gary Baseman & Andrew Brandou. The book which is over 200 pages features art from a plethora of artists. All that were listed above as well as Shepard Fairy of OBEY, Buff Monster, Ron English, Luke Chueh, AIKO, CRASH, Niagara and many many more.

Since this was a one day event, there was an over whelming response and turn out. With doors opening at 1:00 pm, by 1:30pm the line was a block and a half long. Extending around the corner of Rosewood stopping just short of The Hundreds Fairfax location. With most of these artists being from the contemporary, street art and graffiti world, there was really something for everyone, young & old, male or female at this show. Although with the wait time tipping into the multiple hours, the overall wait of show was worth it in my eyes and I enjoyed to get a chance to meet some of these fantastic artists that most of us have admired for many years now.


 Below are selected shots from this one day pop-up Hello Kitty event:


MAIN ROOM:

Hello Kitty x POSE


 "Wet Paint"


Various "Two 4 One" 
12" x 12" acrylic on clayboard




"Hello Fishy" 
30" x 40" acrylic and spray paint

"Cruisin" 
36" x 48" acrylic and spray paint

 
 "Doll" 
36" x 48" acrylic and spray paint
 
 "Beach Party" 
36" x 48" acrylic and spray paint
 
"Hello Bloomers" 
36" x 48" acrylic and spray paint

 "Hello Paint #2" 
30" x 40" acrylic and spray paint
 
 "Hello Paint #1" 
30" x 40" acrylic and spray paint
 
A photo op with Miss Hello Kitty


 "Hello Kitty was here!"


 "HELLO POSE"


Hello Kitty x POSE


 Girlfriend can get down


No drips...


 Hello Kitty in abstraction 


Hello Kitty in abstraction


 Sanrio Supermarket Signs
28" x 20" sign ink on poster board


BACK ROOM:


by "RISK"


 "East Meets West in Neon"
by "RISK"
 
 "East Meets West"
by "RISK"

 "Small Gift Miami Mask Instillation Detail"
by Anthony Lister 

"Small Gift Miami Mask Instillation Detail"
by Anthony Lister

 "Hello Kitty Pink Chandelier" (also in White) 45" x 52" diameter
by Adam Wallacavage
 
"Hello Kitty" 18" x 24" acrylic on wood
by DABS MYLA

 "Hello Kitty"
by Camilla d' Errico

 "Hello Kitty"
by Niagara 

"Hello Kitty"
by Tokidoki

 "Astro Kitty" 32" x 48" acrylic on wood
by "64 Colors"

"Hello Kitty Block Party" 
72" x 72" mixed media on canvas
by AIKO
 "Getting Up"


 "Ghetto Blaster"


 "B Girl"


 "Hello Kitty NYC"




 "Untitled" 18" x 24" Screen Print
Shepard Fairey (Obey)

Limited Edition Screen Prints that were for sale
by Tokidoki, Shepard Fairey & Dabs Myla

 "Risk Rock" signing books

 
 Main floor Captain "POSE" signing a book


"Deph" busting a doodle 


 Special appearance by Hello Kitty!


"Hello Kitty Hello Art!" book
Curated by Roger Gastman and out by Abrams books

One day pop-up event




To learn more about Known Galley, featured artists and upcoming exhibits, please visit:

To learn more of Sanrio, it's products and the world of Hello Kitty, please visit:







Thursday, October 18, 2012

RETNA - New Paintings and Works on Paper



RETNA - New Paintings and Works on Paper


Michael Korn Gallery located Los Angeles dedicated it's entire space to bring us new works by legendary street artist RETNA. From September 15th, ongoing now till October 27th, 2012. Retna and Michael Korn Gallery join forces and offer a tour de force with this current solo show that includes new works on paper and various paintings.

Retna aka Marquis Lewis, has a particular interest in the visual writings of ancient cultures, from Arabic and Persian to Hebrew and Native American. Both hieroglyphics and the graceful tradition of ink calligraphy inform his paintbrush while the angles and curves of his improvised alphabet echo the architecture of a mosque or Asian temple. Equally evident in Retna's nuanced script is the artist's interest in Modernist abstraction.

Retna's works are informed by contemporary artistic precedents that include Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Glenn Ligon—all artists using text and image to expand the boundaries of painting and confound visual interpretation. Retna's works are simultaneously conceptual, literal and abstract. The artist is able to synthesize all of these precedents and influences into a seamless and elegant abstract painting.

The artist adopted the alias Retna from the Wu Tang Clan track Heaterz: "Kinetic globes light will then shine, burns your retina." He typically paints to music and allows the rhythmic beat and flow to partly guide his intuitive and emotive script. Beyond the fluidity of music, Retna's work contains imagery and histories that are vast and diverse. The symbols and pictographs of his signature script are inlaid with his multicultural background of El Salvadorian, Cherokee, Spaniard, Pipil and African-American lineage.


Below are selected shots of RETNA's new solo show at Michael Korn Gallery



 "Ya Es La Ultimate Vez"
Enamel, acrylic and crystalina on canvas 
96 x 84 inches

 "Sentence me to standards"  
Enamel, acrylic and crystalina on canvas
96 x 103 inches

"Optic Nerve"
Enamel, acrylic on canvas
84 x 276 inches

"Standed Hands"
Enamel, acrylic and crystalina on canvas
96 x 64 inches
"Song of the Opera"
Enamel, acrylic on canvas
96 x 72 inches



"Eastern Realm"
Enamel, acrylic on canvas
96 x 72 inches



 "I strike with words that will pierce through your heart" 
Enamel, acrylic and crystalina on canvas
96 x 72 inches



















Outer walls of Michael Korn Gallery




In 2009, Retna was featured in an episode of Ovation TV's American Revolutionaries, a series profiling innovative and impactful artists. Most recently, Retna embarked on his Hallelujah World Tour in 2011, which made exhibition stops in New York and London. Retna's work can be found here in Los Angeles in a permanent large-scale mural at the West Hollywood Library alongside the work of Shepard Fairey and Kenny Scharf in addition to other street side murals and various billboards throughout Los Angeles.




To learn more about Retna, his works and upcoming exhibits, please visit:


To learn more about Michel Korn Gallery, featured artists and upcoming exhibits, please visit:
.