Pop & Street Art
ROBERT INDIANA
JOE BLACK
SEEN
The contemporary art scene has witnessed an unexpected proliferation of Street Art. Born in side-streets and alleyways, Urban Art rose from an anonymous subversive attempt to a bona fide cultural movement, and has surprised and redefined the global art market. Loaded with social commentary, Street Art made a foray into the public space as an alternative means for communication independent of the art establishment. Originating from the heterogeneity of commercial and underground cultures, Street Art utilizes common iconographical elements to attract the general public. The visual world of Urban Art is filled with a sense of immediacy and spontaneity, alongside artistic freedom, defying the aesthetic and artistic conventions. Its attitude of resistance and democracy has become an integral part of the contemporary cultural context. The Pop Art movement has long been associated with the Western culture, but has since taken Asia by storm, giving rise to the new era of Asian Pop Art. Korean pop artists have found a way to express themselves and come up with a visual language of their own inspired by Korean traditional art and culture. Celebrated for vibrant colors, playful figures, and exuberant textural qualities, Korean pop art continues to seduce collectors worldwide.
PATRICK RUBINSTEIN
MR.BRAINWASH
GULLY
Young-June Kiehm Director Opera Gallery Seoul
JULIAN OPIE
KWON KI SOO
DAVID MACH
ROBERT INDIANA b. 1928
A preeminent figure in American art since the 1960s, Robert Indiana’s highly original body of work includes some of the most recognizable images in the contemporary culture. Born Robert Clark in 1928 in New Castle, Indiana, Robert moved to New York City in 1954 and took the name of his home state. His work fittingly explores the American identity, personal history and the power of words and language, a concept that inspired the infamous LOVE image commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art as their 1965 Christmas card. Adopted as an emblem of the love generation of the 1960s, the image proliferated and was reproduced onto countless products, becoming an icon of modern art and emphasizing the universality of the subject. In addition to painting and sculpture, Indiana has produced a significant number of prints, collaborations, graphic posters and stage sets. Indiana played a central role in the development of assemblage and pop art and is widely considered as one of the most creative artists of his generation. His work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world, and is notably included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C., the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Israel Museum of Jerusalem.
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Hartley Elergies KVF X, 1991 Litograph, edition of 50 146 x 146 cm - 57.5 x 57.5 in.
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Hartley Elergies KVF I, 1990 Litograph, edition of 50 202 x 140 cm - 79.5 x 55.1 in.
Hartley Elergies KVF IV, 1990 Serigraph in colours, edition of 2 202 x 140 cm - 79.5 x 55.1 in.
Joe Black b. 1973 Joe Black was born in 1973 in United Kingdom. Through his work, he explores the way we see pictures by making imagery that is both seen as a whole and as a collection of small composite parts. His aim is for the audience to experience the grand and the intricate at the same time. ‘Close up’ and ‘far away’ are important in Joe Black’s work. Combining his craft skills, love of materials and an innate desire for perfection, the production process is intrinsic to his work. The final result for which he strives is a sense of wander about how the pieces are constructed. His drive and inspiration for the work is very much about the process of making the pieces. The meticulous nature of the work is essential, and integral to the work. His choice of imagery comes from popular culture as easily recognizable, iconic portraits. However, in Joe Black’s interpretation of the portrait, the merging of old and new technologies presents the subject in a totally new context. In an age of immediate digital media, Joe Black has intentionally created a time-consuming, alternative form of pixilation, assembled entirely by hand. His work evokes a sensory response where the audience is invited to probe deeper than the surface of the work to reveal something unexpected. He selects small common objects to pay tribute to, or add another dimension to the subject of the piece he is making. By looking, the object materialises and gives expression to the personality of the subject, beginning the metamorphosis of the ordinary into something extraordinary. The objects signify hidden meanings within the work and although Joe Black has his own ideologies, whether personal, political or social, the work is left open to interpretation. Through the very act of seeing the images, the story within the work is revealed to the audience.
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Ways of Seeing (Blue), 2013 Print, edition of 50 91 x 91 cm - 35.8 x 35.8 in.
Power to the People - miniature people, 2016 Mixed media 136 x 92 x 5 cm - 53.5 x 36.2 x 2 in.
Mr. BRAINWASH b. 1966 Mr. Brainwash is a French-born, Los Angeles-based artist, filmmaker and cultural impresario. A former amateur videographer and vintage clothing store proprietor, Thierry Guetta, aka Mr. Brainwash, made a big name for himself in the early 2000s as a controversial compatriot of prominent street artists such as Banksy and Space Invader. In 2008, Mr. Brainwash staged his debut solo exhibition, ‘Life is Beautiful’, in a dilapidated television studio in Hollywood. Featuring his now signature savour of large-scale installations, historical pop imagery and contemporary iconography, the exhibition was met with enormous critical and commercial acclaim. The success of ‘Life is Beautiful’ was sustained through subsequent exhibitions of a similar scope in New York, London, Toronto and Basel over the next few years. A hybrid public incarnation and artist in his own right, Guetta’s Mr. Brainwash alter ego remains a fascinating commentary on the relationship between artist and public in the contemporary street art movement.
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Charlie Chaplin and kid, 2011 Stencil and mixed media on canvas 183 x 213,5 cm - 72 x 84 in.
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Max Spray, 2011 Stencil, acrylic and spray paint on canvas 101.5 x 234 cm - 40 x 92 in.
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Smile, 2011 Stencil and mixed media on canvas 162,5 x 122 cm - 64 x 48 in.
Mickey Spray, 2011 Stencil and spray paint on canvas 58,5 x 56 cm - 23 x 22 in.
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Kate Moss, 2009 Silkscreen on canvas 106,5 x 106,5 cm - 42 x 42 in.
Tomato Spray, 2009 Stencil, acrylic and spray paint on canvas 128 x 71 cm - 50.4 x 28 in.
SEEN b. 1961
Born in 1961 in the Bronx in New York, Seen was 11 when he started to customise cars with spray paint in his uncle’s garage. In the 1970s, while painting whole cars in the New York subway, he finds his place in the history of art. At that time, the graffiti movement is booming and Seen becomes one of its ultimate representatives. He picks the name ‘Seen’ that perfectly illustrates his desire to ‘be seen’ and get renowned on the art scene. In the 1980s, his work took on another dimension and he became internationally famous. In 1981, he took a seat alongside Andy Warhol and Keith Haring in the exhibition ‘New York/New Wave’ at P.S.1 in New York. Initially a subversive language in the public space, urban art was about to become legitimate and regarded as a recognised form of art, successfully moving from the street to the walls of art galleries and museums. Seen was at the forefront of this phenomenon. His artworks are nowadays included in prestigious institutious and private collections across the world.
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Pepe le Pew in Love, 2013 Stencil and spray paint on canvas 115 x 110 cm - 45.3 x 43.3 in.
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Wolverine, 2007 Spray paint on canvas 215 x 100 cm - 84.6 x 39.4 in.
Thor, 2008 Spray paint on canvas 215 x 90 cm - 84.6 x 35.4 in
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Silver Surfer, 2013 Spray paint on canvas 110 x 110 cm - 43.3 x 43.3 in.
GULLY b. 1979
Gully is a French artist born in 1979. His talent fluctuates between sincere tributes and detonating creations as he manipulates Art History. His universe overflows with the anachronistic: iconic art scenes are decontextualized to stage the most improbable encounters among legendary masters. A Graffiti artist at the beginning of the 21st century, Gully now devotes most of his time to studio work after discovering Appropriation Art. This conceptual art movement from the 1970s and 1980s transformed immaterial qualities of an artwork to adapt to the new version’s message. It was enriched by Gully who added graffiti and elements of contemporary art. ‘Signature’, ‘intellectual property’, ‘authentication’ are just a few concepts that were turned upside-down by this new art trend of ‘borrowing to create new work’. He thinks of his paintings as imaginary encounters with the great Masters who influenced him. Famous illustrators from the Saturday Evening Post, known for their depictions of everyday life in 20th century America, take centre stage thanks to the presence of the likes of Joseph Christian Leyendecker, Norman Rockwell and Stevan Dohanos. American modern artists also face off with European Masters: Edward Hopper meets Edouard Manet; Alexander Calder rubs shoulders with Pablo Picasso and Keith Haring bumps into Joan Miró.
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Leyendecker meets Indiana 3, 2015 Mixed media on canvas 100 x 81 cm - 39.4 x 31.9 in.
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Joan Ferrer Miro meets Lichtenstein 1, 2015 Mixed media on canvas 124 x 180 cm - 48.9 x 70.9 in.
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Geoffroy meets Graffiti Art 1, 2014 Mixed media on canvas 129 x 149 cm - 50.8 x 58.6 in.
patrick rubinstein
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b. 1960
Born in 1960, Patrick Rubinstein is a contemporary French artist who previously worked in the fashion industry. Optical illusions held an important place in the family’s creative output. Inspired by movement, form, structure and materials, his works are based on a concept called Opt Art (Kinetic Art). Depending on the angle from which you look at them, his artworks offer three different views, thus providing viewers with three different kinds of emotions. Patrick Rubinstein brings to the viewers the opportunity to come face to face with their beloved celebrities, whom are each associated with another image creating a kind of optical illusion. Little by little, Patrick Rubinstein established his signature style, juxtaposing vibrant colours with black and white, and continued on his ceaseless quest to remain at the cutting edge. His work has been exhibited in the United States, Scandinavia, throughout Europe and the Middle East.
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View 3: right
My BB, 2012 Digital design pleated 80 x 130 cm - 31.5 x 51.2 in.
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Art in your hands Digital design pleated 113 x 113 cm - 44.5 x 44.5 in.
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Pop Pidoo, 2012 Digital design pleated 113 x 113 cm - 44.5 x 44.5 in.
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View 1: centre
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Pop BB, 2012 Digital design pleated 113 x 113 cm - 44.5 x 44.5 in.
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Niagara, 2013 Digital design pleated 148 x 148 cm - 58.3 x 58.3 in. View 3: right
DAVID MACH b. 1956
Born in 1956 in Scotland, U.K, David Mach is considered as one of the leaders of the New British Sculpture movement. He studied at the Duncan Jordanstone College of Art and at the Royal College of Art, London. In 2000 he was appointed Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools, London. He is best known for his flowing assemblages made from mass-produced objects such as coat hangers, magazines, matchsticks and tyres. His work often seeks to express the discontinuity between the mundane, mass-produced, household objects and the exotic and wild aspects of the animal. Mach held his first solo exhibition at Lisson Gallery in 1982 and has continued to gain prominence since them. In 1988 the artist was nominated for the Turner Prize at the Tate Gallery in London, and in 1992 was the recipient of the Lord Provost’s Prize in Glasgow. Much of his commission-based work has been exhibited in some of the world’s most prestigious museums, including the Tate Britain, the National Portrait Gallery in London City Art Center of Edinburgh and the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego. He was elected Royal Academician in 1998 and continues to live and work in London.
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Pucca Cartoon Postcards and photography on wood 152,4 x 152,4 cm - 60 x 60 in.
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Matisse Postcards and photography on wood 100 x 100 cm - 39.4 x 39.4 in.
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Fluffy Poodle Postcards and photography on wood 152,5 x 152,5 cm - 60 x 60 in.
Donald Duck Postcards and photography on wood 152,5 x 152,5 cm - 60 x 60 in.
julian opie b. 1958 Born in 1958 in London, Julian Opie is a visual artist of the New British Sculpture movement. Encouraged by his parents to follow an artistic career, he attended the Chelsea School of Art and then the Goldsmiths College of Art from which he graduated in 1982. His talent was noticed right away and in 1983, he had his first solo show at the Lisson Gallery in London. Exhibitions in private and public venues worldwide followed on. His art was brought to the public eye in 2000 when he was asked to design the cover for the British band Blur’s Best Of album. His portraits of the musicians were displayed all over London on busses and billboards as well as at the National Portrait Gallery. In 2006, for the Irish rock group U2’s Vertigo world tour, he created giant LED screens showing an aimless by walking man figure which were displayed on the stage. He distinguished himself with his highly stylized and recognizable work, which is predicated on the reduction of an image to its bare minimum. To achieve this, he uses a technique from his era: the computer technology. He scans images from photographs and short movies that he makes. He then uses a special software program to produce artworks with thick black outlines, flat areas of colours and minimalized detail. This technique is also applied to create animated pieces and sculptures. These new technologies enable him to work on movement, which he breaks down like the famous British photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Julian Opie creates a world of pictograms understandable by everyone and plays with our self-perception. The heads of his characters are empty circles attached to feetless bodies by an invisible neck. In his portraiture, the features are often reduced to their mere basics: two black discs for the eyes and simple black lines for the mouth and eyebrows. The viewer is invited to see what is invisible to the eye, to sense and understand not the true reality but the way he experiences it depending on his mood or stage in life. Julian Opie urges us to reflect on our own interpretations, feelings and thoughts. His minimalist aesthetic is an escapist road away from the effects of reality or the complexity of everyday life. Cleared from the unessential, Opie’s world’s depictions become pure and simple. The magic in his work is the feeling of freedom and lightness it brings us. Nothing is set, we can see what we want to see, imagine what hides behind those uncluttered figures and sometimes identify ourselves. Monique, Caterina, Maria, Ed, Fabrice, dancing, walking, at the museum, at home, they are us. This is where the beauty of Julian Opie’s work lies, in its simplicity.
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Woman Dressed 4, 2002 Vinyl on wooden stretcher 380 x 234 x 3 cm - 149.6 x 92.1 x 1.2 in.
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This is Monique (Flocking) 19, 2004 Flocking on painted wooden board 85 x 51 cm - 33.5 x 20.1 in.
Jeremy Walking in Stripy Jumper 1, 2010 Silkscreen on painted wooden board 110 x 56,3 x 3 cm - 39.4 x 22.2 x 1.2 in.
mari kim b. 1977 Born in 1977, Mari Kim entered the art world from a background in design, having achieved a B.A. in multimedia, and a Mesters in animation at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. After spending ten years in Australia, between Sydney and Melbourne, Mari Kim has returned to her hometown in Seoul. She now lives and works in Seoul. In addition to her art practice, she serves as a lecturer for the Catholic University in Seoul and an adjunct professor at Chungkang College of Cultural Industries in Icheon City. Mari’s artwork is heavily informed by her training in animation. She incorporates bright colours and bold lines to create simplified and idealised figures. Most of her works depict young women; many include fairy tale or other popular characters. The frame is often focused on the face, resulting in fullfrontal portraits with a special attention to eyes. Mari Kim’s first book, ‘Eyedoll’, was published in 2008. The title, which playfully suggests that these women are also ‘idols’ of sorts, inspired likenamed exhibitions in Seoul in 2009 and 2011. In Mari’s characters, the eyes encompass a world of their own; when studied, intricate patterns reveal themselves so that the viewer feels he/she is looking through the lens of a kaleidoscope. Sometimes, women who have been violated are shown with cuts or stitched lips. Mari’s citation of American horror films as an influence accounts for the dark twist on these otherwise cute feminine figures. Occasionally, Mari still works as an animator. She received international acclaim for her film Religulous, which combined film with animation, and was featured at various festivals including the 2007 edition of Mains d’Œuvres in Saint-Ouen, France. She has also collaborated with the famous K-pop group, 2NE1, creating the cover for their single ‘I am the Best’ as well as the music video for ‘I Hate You’, released in 2011. Mari has exhibited widely inside Korea and internationally. Her work is included in the collections of the Seoul Museum of Art and the Gyeongnam Art Museum.
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Baby Goddess C print 128 x 100 cm - 50.4 x 39.4 in.
Jasmine H C print 102 x 102 cm - 40.2 x 40.2 in.
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kwon ki-soo b. 1972 Born in 1972 in Young-Ju, South Korea, Kwon Ki-Soo has taken on a leading role in his journey to become one of the most recognizable and successful visual pop artists to emerge from South Korea. Trained in classical Korean painting at Hongik University in Seoul, he has since evolved to allow his traditional earnings to merge with the contemporary environment he grew up in. Renowned for paintings filled with brilliant hues, Kwon Ki-Soo has been unafraid to carve magical universes brimming with bamboos, plum blossoms and set in traditional Korean landscapes amidst moonlight skies. These paintings are very often accompanied by his alter ego “Dongurri” who not only represents the artist’s determination to maintain a child-like spirit, but has also quickly become a symbol of unwavering strength in the face of change. As a leading light in Pop Art from South Korea, Kwon Ki-Soo has been included in exhibitions from all around the world, with his works widely featured in museums and private collections notably in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, New York, Paris and Germany.
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Spherical World Silver 2, 2010 Acrylic on aluminium D: 120 cm - 47.2 in.
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Red River, Secret Conversation, 2013 Acrylic on canvas on board 130 x 130 x 6,5 cm - 51.2 x 51.2 x 2.6 in.
Nirvana, 2008 Acrylic on canvas on board 130 x 130 x 6,5 cm - 51.2 x 51.2 x 2.6 in.
HIRO ANDO b. 1973
Born in 1973, Hiro Ando is a Japenese artist inspired by the streets of Tokyo and the world of Manga. He graduated from Tama Art University in Tokyo. After his studies, he started as an illustrator and began to use different media as painting, digital media, sculpture and video. With artist Saori Nakamishi, he founded ‘Crazynoodles’, a neo-pop artist studio collective. His sculptures represent different characters such as Sumocat, Samurai cat, Robocat and Pandasan. He lacques his resin, bronze and porcelaine with glossy paint or ornementation, using vivid colors evoking the Japanese etchings. The various incarnations of Hiro Ando’s cats present a contemporary twist on the everpresent maneki-neko, a japanese lucky cat, planing his art between tradition and modernity.
Pandasan, 2011 Hand painted bronze, unique piece D: 55 cm - 21.7 in
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서울시 강남구 도산대로318 SB타워 1층
1FL, SB Tower, 318 Dosandaero, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul