Launched in 2003, Installation is a revolutionary art tour featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists. Each year the tour has evolved, and each year the medium with which the artists showcase their work evolves. For Installation 5, each artist provided his or her interpretation of a Self-Portrait as either a painting, photograph or video art piece. Scion Installation 5 will visit 9 cities around the country with a final stop in Los Angeles where all of the artwork will be auctioned off to the public, and 100% of the proceeds will go to Creative Capital – a non-profit arts organization. For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork and details from past tours please visit: scion.com/installation.
www.scion.com/installation
The proceeds from all sales from this show will go to Creative Capital. When it launched in 1999, Creative Capital reinvented arts philanthropy, integrating grants and career development services to support adventurous projects through long-term partnerships with artists. In its first decade, Creative Capital has advanced the careers of 411 artists through financial support and advisory services, and has reached over 2,200 additional artists through its Professional Development Program in workshops across the country. As the premiere national artist support organization, Creative Capital is committed to the principal that time and advisory services are as crucial to artistic success as funding. Creative Capital supports projects in Emerging Fields, Film/Video, Literature, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts, providing grants to approximately 40 new projects each grant cycle. Over the trajectory of its funded projects, Creative Capital provides artists with a flexible program of multi-faceted, sequential support, and partners with them to determine how those targeted funds and services can best work in concert to progress towards the grantees own goals. www.creative-capital.org
Creative Capital
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AJ Fosik Alex Hornest Andrew Schoultz
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Angela Boatwright Asylm Blek le Rat Christina M. Felice
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ı ı ı ı Ian Lynam ı J. Shea ı Jamel Shabazz ı Jeff Soto Kelsey Brookes ı Kofie ı Lisa Alisa ı Logan Hicks Mark Mothersbaugh ı Nicholas Harper ı Patrick Martinez Peter Beste ı Peter Glover ı RETNA ı Rick Rodney ı Rob Abeyta Jr. Ron English ı Saber ı Sage Vaughn ı Skypage Something in the Universe ı Souther Salazar ı Stormie Mills Tessar Lo ı Todd Tourso ı Too Tall Jahmal ı Usugrow Will Barras ı Yoskay Yamamoto Codak David Choe David O’Brien Edwin Ushiro El Yem Eriberto Oriol Eye One Francesco LoCastro French
Artists
Aj Fosik
UNTITLED | MEDIUM? | APPROX. 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $875.00
Alex Hornest
SELF-PORTRAIT | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $1,125.00
Andrew Schoultz
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $875.00
Angela Boatwright
BE A PROFESSIONAL | PHOTOGRAPH | 12” X 18”
BID STARTING BID: $200.00
Asylm
SOY HUITZILPOCHTLI | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $375.00
Blek le Rat
THE GOD FATHER | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $4,375.00
Christina M. Felice
WATCH WHERE YOU WALK | PHOTOGRAPH | 15.5” X 23.5”
BID STARTING BID: $200.00
Codak
SELF-AUTOMATON | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $500.00
David Choe / Peter Glover
23 SHORT FILMS | VIDEO
BID STARTING BID: $62.50
David O’ Brien
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA DRAWING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $200.00
Edwin Ushiro
FAMILIAR KISS OF THE UNDERGROUND SANDSTORM MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $625.00
el Yem
UNTITLED | VIDEO
BID STARTING BID: $25.00
Eriberto Oriol
IT’S A GREAT DAY IN L.A. | PHOTOGRAPH | 22.5” X 15.5”
BID STARTING BID: $500.00
Eye One
SELF-PORTRAIT | PHOTOGRAPH | 15” X 23”
BID STARTING BID: $25.00
Francesco LoCastro
I NEVER SAW THINGS YOUR WAY | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $875.00
French
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $200.00
Ian Lynam
ASCLL SABBATH (MOVE YOUR EYES), SOUNDTRACK BY E*ROCK | VIDEO
BID STARTING BID: $50.00
J. Shea
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $375.00
Jamel Shabazz
A REFLECTION OF LIFE | PHOTOGRAPH | 18” X 13”
BID STARTING BID: $375.00
Jeff Soto
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $1,125.00
Kelsey Brookes
SELF PORTRAIT | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 2 PIECES EACH 24” X 18”
BID STARTING BID: $200.00
Kofie
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $750.00
Lisa Alisa
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $425.00
Logan Hicks
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN | PHOTOGRAPH | 15” X 23”
BID STARTING BID: $625.00
Mark Mothersbaugh
MY FIRST PAIR OF GLASSES | RUG | 22” X 34”
BID STARTING BID: $212.50
Nicholas Harper
BONJOUR TRISTESSE (HELLO TO SORROW) | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $1,625.00
Patrick Martinez
UNTITLED PORTRAIT 2008 | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $375.00
Peter Beste
NATTEFRONT AND ME | PHOTOGRAPH | 14” X 21”
BID STARTING BID: $250.00
Retna
UNTITLED | PHOTOGRAPH | 15” X 23.5”
BID STARTING BID: $62.50
Rick Rodney
BID
THE AMERICAN DENIAL OF IT’S OWN IMPENDING DOOM | PHOTOGRAPH | Dimensions? STARTING BID: $150.00
Rob Abeyta Jr.
THE GOOD BAD | MIXED MEDIA PRINT | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $375.00
Ron English
UNCLE RON | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $5,000.00
Saber
UNTITLED | PHOTOGRAPH WITH PAINTING | 15.5” X 23”
BID STARTING BID: $125.00
Sage Vaughn
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA WATERCOLOR | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: NFS
Skypage
SELF PORTRAIT | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $375.00
Something In The Universe
THE THINGS THAT EXIST | VIDEO
BID STARTING BID: $625.00
Souther Salazar
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $825.00
Stormie Mills
MYSELF & MY PAST | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $1,375.00
Tessar Lo
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $425.00
Todd Tourso
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA DRAWING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $375.00
Too Tall Jahmal
UNTITLED | PHOTOGRAPH | 16” X 24”
BID STARTING BID: $125.00
Usugrow
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $500.00
Will Barras
UNTITLED | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $275.00
Yoskay Yamamoto
QUIET FLAME | MIXED MEDIA PAINTING | 24” X 36”
BID STARTING BID: $750.00
AJ Fosik Drawing inspiration from his background creating street art and signage, AJ Fosik is a Philadelphia based sculptor who creates animal abstractions, or as he calls them “existential fetishes.” Totemic apparitions of ursine beasts and delicately rendered paintings skirt American folk art and psychedelia. Viewers are confronted with cryptic symbols from overlapping sources, both traditional and contemporary, creating a dynamic tension where art and viewer come together in an expanded definition of culture and assumption.
Alex Hornest (São Paulo, Brasil - 1972 ) Painter, sculptor and multimedia artist who in his work addresses urban, recreational and inward issues trying to discuss the relationship between cities and their inhabitants. Works on inusitados materials, always looking to capture the essence of people and what move than in the midst of chaos, unrest and the routine of their day to day. Inspired by all that about, focuses its production in the interaction between work and a spectator where there is only the existence of the other.
Andrew Schoultz Andrew Schoultz combines meticulous rendering with imagery both familiar and fantastical. Themes of chaos and destruction forewarn current political and environmental climate, taking form in large-scale installations, murals, paintings, sculptures and works on paper.
Angela Boatwright Hailing from Columbus, Ohio where she attended the same high school as Patrick O’Dell, Angela moved to New York City in June of 1993 to follow her dreams to become a photographer. Fast-forward thirteen years and Angela is now blissfully devoid of free time and has shot for almost every reputable magazine in the rack, from “Nylon” to “Vibe” to “Guitar World” to “W.” To fill the odd moments between working for clients, Angela created her own company to work for; Killer of Giants which allows her to showcase her work with “Mass Appeal” as well as art shows she curates and produces as well as other projects that she creative directs.
Asylm Involved in the street art movement since 1989, Asylm began his quest to develop a recognizable graff style on the walls of the Los Angeles River. Amazed to see what could be created with simple cans of spray paint, Asylm felt he could contribute a different flavor to the scene of Los Angeles. Understanding its essence at an early age, for Asylm street art was not only an art form that was economically affordable, but in a sense, an introduction to art. Asylm’s work is generally quite beautiful, combining bright colors with flourishes of metallic and pearlescent silver and gold paint. His street art and canvas work can often combine realistic depictions of nature such as humming birds or flowers along with wild style depiction of words and letters over an abstract background. His spirituality trances in his work and depicts that nature and the urban landscape can coexists in harmony. www.asylm.com
Blek le Rat Xavier Prou aka Blek Le Rat Born on November 15th 1951, Paris France. Currently lives and works in Paris, France. 1971-1976: Studied Etching, Lithography and Painting at the “Ecole nationale superieure des Beaux-arts de Paris”. 1976-1982: Studied Architecture at “United pedagogiqued’architecture No6” Paris, France. 1981-2005: Blek’s work has focused on urban art in different cities of the world. He is the pioneer of stencil graffiti art, introducing the technique into graffiti in Paris in 1081 and now followed by many artists across the world. He introduced to the urban art landscape the concept of creating life size figures of people. Blek shows his work in the streets of cities like Buenos Aires, Argentina, London, England, Paris, France, Berlin, Germany, Florence, Italy, Madrid, Spain, Prague, Czech Republic, New York, USA.
Christina M. Felice Christina M. Felice has been making art since she could crawl. Born and raised on the mean streets of South Philly, she’s always drawn inspiration from her urban roots. Christina received her BFA from Tyler School of Art and studied art in Rome, Italy, where she was mesmerized by the ancient urban landscape. She began to explore the human body as a landscape; investigating the ideas of nostalgia, femininity, and environment. Sick of winter, she moved to L.A. in 2002 where she frequently exhibits, and is a member of Spring Arts Collective in downtown L.A. She spent years in the publishing industry, working as a photo editor at various magazines, including URB Magazine. Christina is currently working on a photography book project entitled Grandmom’s Pink Dress, which documents the 10-year voyage of her Grandmother’s pink dress. www.christinamfelice.com
Codak First touched earth in Stillwater, OK., recieved misinformation and miseducation in Portland Or., followed family roots from the NW all throughout the mid-west. Landing currently back on the left-coast in Los Angeles. From a family background in Architecture and Interior Design Codak developed a fascination with “line”, its quality, ambiguity and emotion. With an early experience doodling his favorite comic book characters, falling off his skateboard and riding the bus, he would find himself caught by the street art bug. Cans have been emptied, Paint brushes have been abused, Markers overfilled, pencils broken, Buff paint spilled, Computer screens burned out, hard drives fried.......In hot pursuit of progression still.
David Choe David Choe is one of the most diverse and prolific artists working today. He is one of the youngest artists to ever have solo show at the MOCA. He has had his art shown on every surface from canvases to human bodies to third world, war torn walls, it can be found in every facet of society, from fancy galleries, museums, t-shirts, shoes, movies, billboards, cars, murals, buildings, from New York City to the Congo, Africa to everywhere in between.
David has spoken and lectured at Princeton, DUKE, Dartmouth and other art colleges, he works in every medium, and can paint anything and everything as well as on anything and everything. He has designed and created fine art, murals, movie sets, movie posters, album covers, shoes, t-shirts, toys, calendars, commercials, cars, magazines, books, illustrations for porn and children’s story books, comics, animation, curated art shows, art directed books and magazines. As well as self-publishing all his own books which have all won numerous awards and are sold out. He has traveled, train hopped and hitchhiked all over the world many times over spreading his art. He’s been homeless, he still sells art out of his parents garage and his beat up mini van. www.davechoe.blogspot.com
David O’ Brien David O’Brien was born in Washington D.C. on April 7th 1977 and raised in rural southern Maryland. Encouraged to pursue art at an early age by teachers, David was accepted into the VPA art program in eastern Maryland. He attended the Virginia Tech College of Architecture from 1995 to 2000 where he received several honors as an architecture student. However, deeper interests in art and music never faded. He was member of of the XYZ student run art gallery and the Studio Propulsid art collective. After graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture, David moved to New York in 2000, working in architecture and producing electronic music for various record labels. In 2003 he moved to San Francisco, collaborating with friends and putting on DJ and Sound Art performances. After two years in the Bay Area, he moved to Los Angeles. David worked for Frank Gehry Architects for almost 3 years, learning the art of design with hand-built physical models before leaving to pursue his own career in fine art. He is represented by the Cerasoli Gallery in Los Angeles, CA.
Edwin Ushiro Beginning his journey as a native from the island of Maui, Edwin Ushiro traveled to California where he attended the Art Center College of Design and graduated with a BFA in Illustration with honors. From there he ventured onto a film career as an Art Director, Visual Effects Consultant, Storyboard Artist & Concept Designer on projects such as: “CSI Miami,” “Battlestar Galactica: Caprica,” and “Angel.” Continuing an urge to explore of his own projects, Edwin has recently expanded onto the gallery scene. In 200809, his personal art can be viewed at exhibitions in Berlin, Zurich, Spain, Korea, Tokyo, New York, and Los Angeles.
el Yem elYEM navigates through a multi-media platform where information (data) and art intersect. The result is a visual experiment that tests the icons of the culture industry. His work involves a participation in which Theodor Adorno claims that it goes under the name of terror in mass culture. elYEM is a pioneer of the Los Angeles graffiti movement but maintains unclassifiable work ethic. He is collected by Denis Hopper, Ryan Gosling and through out France and Switzerland. He is self taught. Lives and works out of Los Angeles.
Eriberto Oriol Eriberto Oriol is an artist and curator who is in touch with a community of artists and artists’ groups. He was named as a people’s aesthete by one of Los Angeles top art critic for being able to select work that appeals to the masses. He brings over 20 years of experience in the arts as artist and curator of highly
successful programs and exhibits for young adults. His exhibits have received critical local, national and international media attention. His commercial and artistic work is published in Jutapoz, Warp, Scratch, Rime, Mass Appeal, Swiddle and others. He is currently working on his own art and an exhibit called “Forbidden Fruit in Art” with young muralists of the Street Art scene.
Eye One Eyeone was exported to Los Angeles from Mexico City at the age of 6. He holds a MFA in Design | Media Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and is a member of the Seeking Heaven (SH) and Second to None (STN) crews. His work has been featured in diverse publications, including the books Graffiti World, Graffiti L.A., and Parallel Strokes and the magazines Big Time, Rime, and Cut (Mexico), among others. He has exhibited his work throughout the U.S., France, and the streets of Mexico City. Eyeone designs and publishes Lost | Graffiti in the City of Angels, an ongoing documentary project that has gathered acclaim from media such as Beautiful/Decay, Vapors, Graphotism, Giant Robot, and PingMag. www.eyelost.com
Francesco LoCastro LoCastro was born in Catania, Italy in 1976, raised in Germany, transplanted to sunny-yet-strange Ft. Lauderdale during high school, and currently lives in South Florida with his wife and two cats. His collegiate employment at a commercial art studio opened his mind to art as a life-long career as a curator and painter, which in 2000, lead him to found Pop Art Studios, a creative services company, commercial art & design studio and launch pad for LoCastro’s diverse art projects. In 2006, his group exhibition during Art Basel Miami Beach at the Art Center/South Florida received numerous art industry accolades. LoCastro, who continues to push the boundaries of emerging art at home and abroad, with exhibitions scheduled in Rome, London & Berlin for 2009, is also featured among the 100 distinguished artists to forge the South Florida art community in the definitive book “Miami Contemporary Artists” released by Schiffer Publishing in 2007.
French French draws pictures. His obsession with metal music informs French’s work that literally draws the line between the magnificent and sensitive. Detailed line work shows both beauty and obsession. French creates artwork to exhibit and also for commercial use. Recently he has exhibited in the UK, New York, LA, Portland, San Francisco as well as in Japan and Australia. He has also produced work for: Paul Smith – Catalogue, Laurence King Publishing, Vans Footwear, M&C Saatchi, AMV BBDO Advertising, Fallen Footwear, Century Media Records, Virgin Music, Zero Skatebaords, Nike, Nike Town Store, Altamont Clothing (LA), Nitro Snowboards (USA), ITV – Afterlife (MC Saatchi), Creature Skateboards (NHS), Southern Records, (UK), Illustrated People, London, The BBC, Pointer Shoes, Dazed and Confused Magazine www.tapedcopies.com
Ian Lynam Ian Lynam is a designer and writer living in Tokyo, Japan. His writing has been published in Idea, Art in America, PingMag, and in numerous graphic design books. His most recent book is Parallel Strokes, an inquiry into the correlation of graffiti and typography. He is the co-founder and editor of Néojaponisme,
a critical cultural journal focused on Japan. Lynam operates a multidisciplinary design studio that focuses on pan-cultural identity design, motion graphics, editorial design, and apparel graphics. He is a graduate of Portland State University (B.S., Graphic Design) and California Institute of the Arts (MFA Graphic Design). www.ianlynam.com
J. Shea J. Shea was born and raised in Boston, MA….influenced at an early age by the art found in comic books…. animation…and classic sci-fi film…..after refining his skills at the art institute in the late 80’s…shea’s creative career has spanned over 20 years….working in various forms as a poster artist….animator….. sneaker designer…….puppet fabricator……muralist……and installation artist recently Shea has been focusing on his personal art…..always handmade in mixed media….with a recycled twist…..combining influences of folk art, assemblage art, and all forms of street art…… he can be found working in his studio & riding his bike in the city of portland,or…………. www.jshea9.com
Jamel Shabazz Jamel Shabazz has been documenting life for over 30 years. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., he picked up his first camera at the age of 15 and proceeded to record the world around him. Jamel is the author of 4 monographs, ‘Back in the Days,’ which is in its’ 8th print addition ‘The Last Sunday in June,’ ‘A Time Before Crack,’ and ‘Seconds of My Life.’ Jamel has been featured in the in Vibe, New York Times, The Source, Playboy, The New York Times, Jalouse, American Vogue, French Vogue, & British Elle. He is dedicated to mentoring youth, both in the field of photography and career planning and is presently working on a new book featuring his unpublished black and white photographs. Scheduled release date, fall of 2009.
Jeff Soto Through striking visual imagery, Jeff Soto communicates profound visions and fears, nostalgia of his youth, and themes of love, lust, and hope. Soto’s distinct color palette, subject matter, technique and bold themes resonate with a growing audience. Environmental issues also take precedent for Soto, who is concerned with conflict of humans trying to harness, or take advantage of nature. His paintings exude this tension, as robotic creatures duel, organic tentacles and flower bouquets thrive, and black smog looms amidst floating, ominous skulls. In 2002, Soto graduated with Distinction from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He currently lives in Southern California, with his wife Jennifer and daughter Shannon.
Kelsey Brookes Kelsey Brookes was born in 1978. A formally trained scientist who spent years tracking viruses for the U.S. government, he now lives and works in San Diego as a painter. His art can be found broadly throughout the US and Europe and is represented internationally by the Lazarides gallery (London). Kelsey’s figurative paintings draw influence from Hindu and Buddhist deities, exotic animals and sex, as well as rustic American quilts. Each figure is adorned with ghostly representations of the natural world…animals and
plants that unfold from the body into the surrounding canvas. His chimeras are frozen with animalistic intensity in explosive and sometimes tortured positions. Kelsey blames this raw, anxious form of art on the U.S. University system which refuses to teach its scientists how to draw.
Kofie Growing up in Los Angeles and very active in the West Los Angeles art scene since the mid 1990’s, Kofie’One, as he became to be known, is a skillful and well respected street artist. After viewing one of his collage and assemblages you may begin to recognize his distinct style in one of his many murals scattered around Los Angeles. Drawing on his craft of lettering he has developed an abstraction that goes beyond the traditional 3 dimensions of our known world into a crafted world that builds on itself. Choices like his color pallet recall a vintage sensibility. He has the innate ability to combine appreciation of the past and his vision of a developed future. Kofie’s mechanically detailed line-work, organically complex structures and heavy earth-tone palette develop into a multi-layered, architecturally inspired world that is a futuristic realm not subject to gravity. To study one of Kofie’s artworks is to envelope yourself in his consciousness and get a glance into his awareness. www.keepdrafting.com
Lisa Alisa Lisa Alisa is a female artist based in New York City. She is known for provocative graphic images of young women that bear a strong self-portrait resemblance. Lisa Alisa’s work addresses issues of independence, femininity, youth, environment and natural conservation. She has been published and exhibited worldwide.
Logan Hicks Logan Hicks is a New York-based stencil artist whose work explores the dynamics of the urban environment. Originally a screenprinter, Logan’s work gained notoriety due to his ability to capture the sometimes mundane cycle of city life in a haunting, yet refined way with his hand sprayed stencils. “Stenciling started as a substitution for screenprinting, but quickly morphed into my medium of choice. A perfect union was conceived by spraypainting stencils of my subjects. The dirty and gritty nature of the spraypaint thoroughly depicted the decay of the city while the muted shine of metallic paint mirrored the faint glimmer of hope and life within the city. I try to draw a parallel between the cold, harsh city and a warm, vibrant organism. It is alive; a breathing creature where the people do not exist within it, but rather along side of it. It is this symbiotic relationship with the city the fuels my work. I have a love-hate relationship with the city.” www.workhorsevisuals.com www.loganhicks.com
Mark Mothersbaugh 1950: Born Akron Ohio 1957: Received first pair of spectacles and simultaneously became interested in art
1968: Enrolled at Kent State University fine arts dept 1970: Protests war in Viet Nam. Meets Jerry Casale at Kent State and conceptualizes the art band DEVO 1975: First solo gallery show 1976-Present: Bob, Jim and Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob and Jerry Casale release award winning short film “ In the beginning was the end – the truth about De-evolution” and European chart topping singles. During this time period created along with Jerry Casale and Bob Mothersbaugh all of Devo’s film, graphics, music and stage shows DEVO continues to record and perform 1984-Present: Composes music for film, TV, radio, games and Web 1987-Present: Has shown in hundreds of solo and group exhibitions 2008: Receives honorary doctorate from Kent State
Nicholas Harper Harper’s current body of work represents his ambition to make the icon relevant for today’s contemporary audience. Through exploring individual psyche, he hopes to transcend merely capturing the portrait of the sitter, but rather, exposing the psychological and spiritual aspects of the subject through distortion, atmosphere and Harper’s personal symbolism. In an attempt to capture the tension Harper believes to exist in humans today, he strives to present the subject in both divine and worldly aspects focusing on everyday people and not the preordained “holy” people of history. Nicholas Harper has gained national notoriety for his award winning paintings and gallery and has been featured in numerous local, national and international publications including CNN where he was named as an artist to watch.
Patrick Martinez Patrick Martinez focuses on the phenomenology of his surroundings. He brings sublime beauty to things that aren’t thought of as conventionally beautiful. He uses subject matter such as everyday people that aren’t usually painted into the limelight and elements of the city that would be thought of as objects we take for granted. He uses these objects as communicative mediums. Patrick works with intellect and intuition in creating pieces of art that reflect and document situations that are ever present around him. Vitality and rhythm are the essence and energy in his artwork. His recent clients include adidas, frank 151, rime magazine, upper playground and nike.
Peter Beste Documentary photographer Peter Beste has spent the last seven years working in the world of Norwegian black metal. This scene, with its notorious events of murder, church arson and self-mythologization is absolutely sealed to outsiders. Beste’s access and insight into this world has been without precendent, resulting in an amazing photographic journey which was published as a large scale photography book entitled True Norwegian Black Metal (Vice Books 2008). Beste has had solo exhibitions in London, New York, San Francisco, Austin, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Osaka, Oslo, and Bergen. His work has appeared in London Observer, Spin, VH1, MTV, American Photo, Modern Painters, British Journal of Photography, Dazed and Confused, XXL, and many others.
Peter Glover Pete Glover is an artist, filmmaker, and art book publisher living and working in Oakland, California. Pete moved to Oakland as a teenager to attend the California College of Arts and Crafts. Since his graduation in 2000, he has regularly exhibited his prints, drawings, assemblages, and films, most recently his collaborative video with his friend David Choe, 23 Short Films. He currently owns and operates Rowan Morrison Gallery with his wife, Narangkar, where they also publish art books. He has been making zines since he was 14 years old and currently produces the found art publication Junk Pirate. In November 2007, Pete’s likeness appeared as an animated character on television’s Metalocalypse. www.peteglover.com
Retna Retna was born in Los Angeles, California in 1979. Since first creating a name for himself in the early 1990s, Retna has become an “eternal broadcaster” of sorts, shining a light to the kinetic urban soul of Los Angeles. The name RETNA itself evokes the timeless power, movement and visual vibrancy behind the artist’s acclaimed work. Today, Retna traverses between the galleries and streets with ease. In addition to being aligned with the Art Work Rebels and Mad Society Kings Art Groups, he is a member of the internationally exclusive art collective, The Seventh Letter, whose influence on contemporary street art encompasses the globe. His most recent projects include an exhibition titled “Will Rise” at Robert Berman Gallery and an installation called, “Street Life” at the LA Weekly corporate office.
Rick Rodney (American born Photographer and California Native -1972) Best known as frontman of iconic Southern California hardcore band Strife, Rick Rodney has spent a good deal of his adult life touring the world with his band. This constant exposure to different cultures and landscapes, Rodney found it only natural to put down the microphone and pick up a camera to document his travels, his band, and his life. The image presented in this particular show is entitled, The American Denial of Its Own Impending Doom, and serves as a self-portait depicting the current state of American culture, economy, and political failure. Rick lives and works in Los Angeles, Ca.
Robert Abeyta Jr. Rob Abeyta Jr. is a full time designer and painter living in the Los Angeles area. Until recently, he was working with NIKE as Art Director on a new line of sneakers & apparel. His past works include collaborations with Spike Jonze, French Director and Academy Award Winner Michel Gondry, Stussy and Undefeated. Also numerous music packaging designs ranging from the seminal punk band LOS CRUDOS to The Transplants to LA hip hop legends Mack 10, Cypress Hill and DJ Quik. Other works include the design of numerous skateboards and apparel while working as an Art Director for Fourstar Clothing at the Girl Skateboard Companies.
Ron English Ron English, a New York-based painter, billboard liberator, and toy designer has exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide for over twenty years his unique sensibility, in which the familiar is reflected through
funhouse mirrors into something startlingly new. He is the subject of an award-winning documentary, “POPaganda, the Art and Crimes of Ron English.” His commentary and art were featured in the hit movie “Supersize Me,” and he has made numerous television appearances in the US, Canada, Europe, South America, and Japan. In addition to painting, Ron English is one of the seminal figures in the culture jamming movement, in which artists and activists subvert existing advertisements to encourage free thought. He has pirated more than a thousand billboards worldwide, replacing existing ads with original art, spreading his vision with an intriguing blend of humor and bravado.
Saber Saber is a force to be reckoned with. Born in Glendale he gravitated toward skating quickly discovering that he had all of Los Angeles as a playground, and through that exploration found street art, and I guess as they say the rest is history. The Los Angeles River Piece was the largest stepping-stone to get him to where he is, but certainly not the only one. He has a compulsion to try new things and use new mediums and push himself till he physically breaks. He can’t creatively stay in one place, he has to challenge and move to places of his own perfection, he must master everything. If you were to pinpoint one thing that stood out in just about every piece Saber has ever created, it would be hand-style. There is elegance to the flow in his lines, yet it always seems to exist in this raw environment you cant seem to escape. He makes the hideous and unwholesome, refined and beautiful.
Sage Vaughn born 1976 an hour and a quarter after the bicentennial in Jacksonville Oregon. lives and works in Los Angeles. has a wife and four cats.
Skypage Bay Area born, Los Angeles based, Skypager spent his formative years painting hobby trains and model cars using Testors brand enamel paints and plastic bristled brushes. This was the starting point from which his interest in and fascination with paint based materials emerged, but coupled with the discovery of non-soluble ink mediums and other indelible marking tools, his appetite grew. So long as there is development, there will be new surfaces, new walls, new heights, and with that comes the creation of new marks. Skypage’s work has graced the pages of Mass Appeal, Big Time, Arkitip, and Transworld. He has developed logos and artwork for Stussy, Nike, Pros N Cons, Brooklyn Basements, and a roster of others.
Something In The Universe Formed by the founder of Beautiful/Decay magazine, Something In The Universe (SITU) opens the doors for the first time to the publication’s in-house team and rich network of creatives, consultants and strategists. SITU has the distinct advantage of having access to Beautiful/Decay’s ten years of experience and expertise engaging with emerging culture and developing relationships within the creative community. SITU is a creative think tank that moves fluidly through a diverse nexus of visual landscapes, ranging from art, design, music, fashion and in between. The company’s philosophy is to effectively connect and illuminate these cultural constellations, in order to provide a fresh, youthful perspective.
Souther Salazar Souther Salazar’s work first began to circulate in the early 90’s, in the form of photocopied cut-and-paste microcomics and ‘zines made in his bedroom as a young teenager in rural Oakdale, CA. After graduating from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, he moved to Los Angeles. Souther exhibits his collages, paintings, drawings and sculptures in dense and frenzied installations that encourage exploration and participation by the viewer. His work has appeared in galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Brazil and Tokyo, and in publications such as Kramers Ergot, Juxtapoz, and Giant Robot.
Stormie Mills Stormie Mills began drawing as a child as a way to express his thoughts, forming a particularly intimate style, which can be seen in the portraits and his depictions of people, which characterize many of his works today. Commencing with writing in the streets around the world, he worked on raw surfaces, creating images with an inherently rich texture to all of his pieces. When he transferred to canvas and other surfaces, he continued to create texture by layering the paint, crafting another dimension to his paintings. His contemplative works are solitary portrayals of isolation and the human condition, celebrations of beauty masked by the layers of life. A subtext to these works is backgrounds contesting the build up of dirt and the futility of its subsequent removal, contested on the concrete streetscapes.
Tessar Lo Born in Indonesia and raised in Canada, Tessar’s work is in the cluster of things you see when you close your eyes at night. Tessar is interested in the denaturalization of history and the mysterious- he is driven to capture the hearts of the intrigued.
Todd Tourso Todd Tourso, a Los Angeles native, is a designer and illustrator who is currently the Creative Director for Flaunt, an award-winning fashion, art, and design magazine. He is also the co-founder and Creative Director for Plain Gravy, a lifestyle clothing collective. His work has been featured in exhibitions in Los Angeles and Japan, and in print and design publications such as Arkitip, IDN, Atmosphere, Urb, and Rojo.
Too Tall Jahmal A native of Los Angeles California, Too Tall Jahmal and his various cameras have been travelling and capturing life around him as a hedge bet against rapid memory loss. He is the founder of 50mm Los Angeles, a website dedicated to show casing street art and graffiti in Los Angeles 11 years running. Too Tall Jahmal’s preferred method of travel in Los Angeles and the world is by bicycle. He is a founding member of Midnight Ridazz, a massive night time social bicycle ride in Los Angeles.
Usugrow Usugrow started his craft by making flyer art for the local hardcore scene in Sentai which is his hometown Fukushima in early 1990. Around the same time, he established a clothing line and, before long, his artwork to became popular outside the hardcore scene.
Currently, he works in Tokyo creating album covers and merchandise for foreign and domestic hardcore bands, metal bands and hip hop groups. He also works for several clothing brands and skateboard companies. For years, he’s been experimenting with painting (rather than his regular ink style) and working with organic materials. He’s got the simplest and minimal methodology of black ink on white paper and hand-drawing. His works represent his style, message and identity as Japanese.
Will Barras Will Barras is an illustrator and artist living and working in London. Born in Birmingham in 1973 he spent his formative years in Bristol. Highly sought after both for commercial and private commissions, Will divides himself between directing for the Animation Production Company Bermuda Shorts, designing graphics, and undertaking a truly grueling exhibition and event schedule. He participated in the highly acclaimed Wooster on Spring exhibition in New York City and exhibited at the Scope Art Fair in Miami in 2007. He has participated in shows in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Brussels, Edinburgh, Mayrhofen, Oslo, Copenhagen, Bratislava, Cologne, Budapest, Warsaw and London.
Yoskay Yamamoto Yamamoto discovered a way to fuse the two different cultural backgrounds together into his work. Yamamoto nostalgically blends pop iconic characters from his new Western home with traditional and mythical Japanese elements, balancing his Asian heritage with urban pop art.