POP SURREALISM

magazine

SPRING 2011
h e at h e r Wat tS m ar k G l e aS o n

APRIL 1 st – MAY 1 st 2011

OPENING RECEPTION FRIDAY, APRIL 1ST 8 – 11 PM

Dan n i S h i n ya l u o Dan i e l l i m

LA LUZ DE JESUS GALLERY

4 6 3 3 H O L LY W O O D B LV D . L O S A N G E L E S , C A 9 0 0 2 7
(323) 666 – 7667 W W W. L A LUZ D E J E S U S . C O M
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popsurmag.com
POP SURREALISM
Publisher Richard Kalisher Designer Eric Kalisher
magazine

Contributing Editors Ana Kim, Tracy Tomko

 GALLERY
SPOTLIGHT THE CONGREGATION GALLERY

S ince The Congregation Gallery

opened it's doors, they've been
hosting some of the most exciting group
art shows in the country. The shows fea-
ture emerging and established, outsider
and lowbrow, dark, and even unknown
artists, allowing both new talent and
professionals, local and international,
to feature their work to new audiences.
Hundreds of attendees from all walks of
life attend their art show events. It's be-
come not just the “art” crowd — or the
“rock” crowd — but the everyone crowd.
In Fall 2008, The Congregation
Gallery hosted Los Angeles County's first
ever “Metal” Art Show. The show was so
successful that an event that was sup-
posed to run one time snowballed into
a new type of gallery, one that's owned
and operated by artists, for artists. Pro-
gramming primarily themed group
shows, the Congregation Gallery strives

13
 to be an intersection between accom-
plished professionals and the new blood.
In 2010, they started throwing solo art
shows and now The Congregation Galley
is becoming the finger on the pulse of re-
alism and surrealism on the West coast.

The Congregation Gallery is located inside

Forgotten Saints, which operates as a rock-
n-roll designer boutique and tattoo studio.
The Congregation Gallery is the crossroads
of fashion, music, and art in Hollywood
and us curated by artist Cam Rackam and
owner Cody Varona. The gallery is open
every day from 11am to 8pm.

Art Selections From From Left: Cam Rackam, The Culprit, oil on ma-
sonite, custom assemblage frame; Dean Fleming,
Desire, oil on panel, custom frame; Larkin, Year of
The Congregation Gallery the Rabbit, oil on board, custom hand-woven frame.

14
photos by Evi T’Bolt

artists, curators, musicians, dancers, designers, writers, creative inquiries: proposal@newpuppyLA.com

 Gary Baseman &
Andy Kehoe
Jonathan LeVine
New York City
[Through Apr 2]

Walking through Walls is a show of new

works by Los Angeles-based artist Gary
Baseman. As the title suggests, works in
Walking through Walls convey the con-
cept of breaking through imposed limi-
tations and boundaries, in society as
well as the art world. Visually, Baseman
emphasizes “the wall” through a floral
wallpaper motif, compositional divi-
sions of space and the transcendence
of his subjects between mediums.
While his previous exhibitions have
been festive and celebratory in nature,
Baseman’s work takes a more reflec-
tive, somber tone in this show. With
the recent passing of his father, the art-
ist’s deep sense of loss has resulted in
darker, subdued colors, adding shades
of gray to his previously bright palette.
In the new series of work, Base-
man introduces a figure named Lil Miss
Boo, a young girl wearing a homemade
ghost costume. The character is based
on a child in an old black and white
photograph, one of over 2000 vintage
photographs of masked subjects in the
artist’s personal collection, garnered
over the last 20 years. The collection
has often been a source of creative in-
spiration. This exhibition marks the first
time Baseman incorporates imagery
from his photo collection into his paint- Gary Baseman
ings, through elements of collage and
silkscreen. word, to become met (meaning death). ner of multiple Emmy awards. Baseman’s
In this exhibition, Baseman ex- Gary Baseman was born in 1960 work can be seen in The New Yorker,
plores the maturation of objective child- in Los Angeles, CA, where he currently TIME, New York Times, Rolling Stone, and
like naivety into the subjective adult un- resides. A pervasive artist who works in on the best-selling board game Cranium.
derstanding of absolute beliefs in ideals fine art, illustration, toy design and film/ Strange Wanderings, new works
such as truth, love, hope, faith, fate and television, his strong iconic images are by Andy Kehoe, features a series of oil
responsibility. His ghost and skeleton at once playful and dark, childlike and and acrylic paintings on wood panel,
children evoke nostalgia of childhood thought provoking. Works by Baseman expanding upon Kehoe’s allegorical
memories, and support the overarch- have been exhibited in New York, Los compositions, painted in his signature
ing theme of mortality in relation to Angeles, Rome, Taipei, Bristol, Barce- low-key palette of rich earth tones and
growth, identity, personal development lona, Berlin and São Paulo, including an autumnal colors, accented by fine, black
and transformation. Among several ar- installation at the Pasadena Museum of line-work. Most of the artist’s subjects
chetypes, the artist makes references to California Art, a two-man show at La- are animal-human hybrids, dressed in
Golem—a Jewish folktale of anthropo- guna Art Museum and a performance fine suits, sometimes smoking ciga-
morphic beings made of mud which can at Los Angeles County Museum of Art rettes or pipes, often horned, hoofed, or
be animated by inscribing the word emet (LACMA). He is the creator and executive beaked and covered with fur or feathers.
(Hebrew for truth) on their forehead, and producer of Teacher’s Pet, a critically ac- In this fantastical world, frolicking foxes
killed by removing the first letter of the claimed animated series and film, win- and cats walk on hind legs, forest spir-

16
Andy Kehoe
its linger behind tree trunks, creatures
peer from above the forest canopy and
silhouetted shadows fade into the mist.
Kehoe’s aesthetic is largely inspired
by traditional folktales and mythologi-
cal art. His narratives contain primordial
themes of love, fear, mortality, alienation,
greed, deception and betrayal. Nostalgic
for a time before the age of science and
reason, Kehoe’s work rekindles a child-
like sense of wonder, recalling an era
when fables and legends were believed
as truths to explain each and every mys-
tery of the unknown.
The majestic grandeur of nature
has also had a strong influence on the
artist and is present throughout his work.
Colorful foliage and bare branches rep-
resent the seasonal passing of time. In
this exhibition, Kehoe’s figures are isolat-
ed within desolate wooded landscapes,
yet they are rendered with a greater
contrast in scale than his previous work
and, as a result, take on new dynamics in
relationship to one another. During the
course of working on this show, the art-
ist embarked on an adventurous cross-
country move from Portland, Oregon,
to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Along his
journey, he stopped to explore National
Parks in Wyoming such as Grand Teton,
Yellowstone, Devils Tower, and Badlands
in South Dakota.
As he says, “It was equally inspiring
and intimidating seeing nature in that
grand of scale. A lot of my work for this
show has a sense of scale to it... mostly
with creatures that are larger than life.
Many of the new paintings have char-
acters that are on journeys, and meet
something new and unexpected, some
comforting and others frightening.
Some of the pieces also deal with finding
home and where your heart lies.”
Andy Kehoe was born in 1978 in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2003, he
received a BFA in Illustration from Par-
sons School of Design in New York City.
In the years that followed, his paintings
have been exhibited in galleries and mu-
seums across the country. After recently
living and working in Portland, Oregon,
Kehoe re-located again in 2010, return-
ing to his home town of Pittsburgh, PA.
17
 Yosuke Ueno
TOY ART GALLERY
Los Angeles
[ongoing]
This gallery presents their first bronze
sculpture: Hapiko by Yosuke Ueno. Hap-
iko, as described by its sculptor, is a Lucky
God, common in Japanese folklore since
ancient times. She is a quintessential Yo-
suke Ueno character: a smooth, innocent
figure, nose-less and without eyebrows.
She is often featured in Yosuke’s paint-
ings and represents the Happy Girl. Born
in Japan, Yosuke Ueno has been creating
and drawing original characters since
early childhood. He is a self-taught paint-
er with his first solo show held in 1994 in
Yamaguchi when he was sixteen. He also
paints under the name Spaceegg77, and
EINE
White Walls
San Francisco
[Mar 12 - Apr 2]
GREATEST is a new exhibition by artist
Ben EINE. It will utilize both gallery and
public space as a two-tiered platform
for the artist’s visual expression. EINE'S
work is a large-scale study of the shape
and structure of the 26 letters found in
the modern English alphabet in varied
typefaces, color configurations and word
arrangements. In the public spaces of
San Francisco, EINE will be painting each
letter of the alphabet on various walls
around the city. A further ten canvases
of his work using spray paint, acrylic, and
18
shows works in Asia, the U.S, and Europe
while living in Tokyo. Yosuke is known as
a specialist of symbolism and innocence.
Red, green, yellow, and blue often ap-
pear in his works. These colors represent
the four bases of DNA: adenine, thymine,
guanine and cytosine, that is, A, T, G and
C-molecular elements that all animate
beings share. Yosukepaints these colors
and A, T, G and C with a message that
all animate beings should have equal
worth. The theme of Yosuke Ueno’s art
is “Love, Space, and Positive Energy.” The
Hapiko bronze statue stands nine inches
tall and is limited to an edition of ten.
glitter will be on display at White Walls
gallery. In an effort to engage the com-
munity through the creation of public
artwork, EINE will be painting the entire
alphabet throughout the city of San Fran-
cisco over the course of several weeks on
walls and shutters. This public execu-
tion of street art aims to offer viewers a
more participatory role in the observa-
tion and evaluation of artistic creation.
All members of the community from
collectors and appreciators to first-time
viewers are invited to partake in the dy-
namic program of events that surround
this ambitious undertaking. White Walls
gallery will be producing a schedule of
live installations, a continually updated
map of works as they appear around the
city, a public artist talk, and an evening
of film screenings related to EINE'S art.
Rooted in the subcultural practice of
graffiti, EINE moved into the more so-
cially acceptable expression of street art
in the early 2000s as a way to become
a full time artist creating public works
that were perceived as more legitimate.
However, his fundamental art practice
has essentially remained the same--he
continues to paint words and letters on
walls on the street. Letters either appear
alone, on shutter fronts, or as words on
walls such as 'scary', 'vandalism', and
'monsters' rendered in bright and ami-
able colors. In this way he turns negative
words into positive ones. The contrast of
jovial shapes and colors with dark sen-
timent is also a tongue-and cheek nod
to the artist’s furtive and taboo origins
as a graffiti writer. The street art com-
ponent of GREATEST is complimented
by a selection of works to be displayed
inside the gallery. These works are part
of EINE’s continual exploration of letters
and words as his quintessential format
for aesthetic inquiry. EINE’s studio pro-
cess involves a layering of stencils onto
the primed and painted canvas. Re-en-
visioning basic Victorian typographical
structure, he begins with vintage hand-
printed wood block fonts, reworking and
refining them until he is inspired to cut
the final stencil. This working method-
ology marks the continual evolution of
the font by the artist’s hand. In the early
2000s, EINE began a symbiotic collabo-
ration with the street artist, Banksy. The
artists worked and exhibited together
for several years traveling to Australia,
Berlin, Vienna and Denmark where Gal-
lery V1 held the Banksy vs. EINE show in
2003. EINE also collaborated with Banksy
on the famous Palestinian Wall project.
In 2010, the Prime Minister David Cam-
eron presented President Barack Obama
with a piece of EINE’s work as a gift. This
diplomatic exchange between the world
powers catapulted EINE’s work into the
limelight on both sides of the Atlantic.
GREATEST will be EINE’s first show in the
US since his work was given to Obama.
 Yumiko Kayukawa
Shooting Gallery
San Francisco
[Mar 12 - Apr 2]

Rock You in a Tatami Room is a solo exhi-

bition by Seattle-based Japanese artist,
Yumiko Kayukawa. This new collection
of works will continue the artist’s affin-
ity for fusing pop culture iconography
such as western fashion and rock and
roll with varying aspects of traditional
Japanese culture. The exhibition’s com-
prised of her signature acrylic and ink
on canvas works. Filled with conflicting
realities of pop culture, traditional Japa-
nese aesthetics and cultural traditions,
the exhibition presents a varied collec-
tion of themes representing a conflu-
ence of personal narrative, whimsical
imagination and contemporary life. The
acrylic and ink-based works are explo-
sions of dynamic color and surrealist
narratives where empowered females
navigate the intricacies of modern life.
Kayukawa’s subjects are youthful Japa-
nese heroines in contemporary settings
often surrounded by an entourage of
displaced wildlife such as bears, wolves,
bunnies and deer. By coalescing polar
binaries such as nature/urbanity and
the primal/the refined, her work inter-
twines and extends the relationship of
femininity, nature, and modernity. The
show’s eponymous painting, Rock You
in a Tatami Room, exhibits Kayukawa’s
trademark style, a collision of seemingly
disparate elements: young girls, rock and
roll, and wild animals. An amalgamation
of cultural references such as the animist
aspects of Shinto and Japanese folklore,
the tones and pallet of Ukiyo-e, the de-
fined lines of Manga, and the topical
content of Anime. Nostalgia for Japanese
culture is further explored in a piece en-
titled New World, where a girl stands at
the ruins of a post-apocalyptic scene.
Inspired by Japan’s suffering after World
War II and its successful recovery from
devastation, Kayukawa creates a sym-
bolic message of hope--that the world
will recover from the current worldwide
economic devastation as Japan did
when it successfully rebuilt the country’s
economy and infrastructure in the post-
World War II era.

19
 Four Artists Fawn Fruits — aka Daniel Hyun Lim —
relishes the spontaneity of the art and
LA LUZ DE JESUS moves things as he goes with colored
Los Angeles pencils and acrylics. His works are some-
[Apr 1 - May 1] what timeless with a striking juxtaposi-
tion of muted versus vibrant hues. The
colors are an anchor to reality and are
a huge factor to the symbolic message
that he is telling: “Somewhere over the
colors of the rainbow there lies a signifi-
cantly beautiful truth, a truth that can
only be realized with an intimate en-
counter.” Sweet IMperfections is an artis-
tic interpretation of a promise between
the creation and his/her creator” states
the artist. Rather than forcefully preach-
ing to the viewer with religious imag-
ery and symbolism, Lim brings new life
to the genre by producing work that is
based on his personal views on religion.
“Although we see ourselves as imperfect
souls, in the eyes of a loved one, we are
perfect” states Lim who feels that there
are enough serious paintings in the
world that shout and make big state-
ments. He wants his work to be more
subtle and speak peacefully to the view-
er, to bring a moment of tranquility. His
dream is to show the world some love,
Daniel Lim
20
Mark Gleason
one Fawn Fruits at a time. Lim is an il-
lustration instructor at Otis college of Art
and Design, Santa Monica College and
Red Engine Studios.
In Mannerism, Mark Gleason
continues to use Mannerist techniques
with oil on canvas to explore existential
themes via absurdist situations. Animals
are often included to define aspects of
the relationship of a central character’s
orientation or connection to the world
via communion or costume in psycho-
logically fraught, private environments.
Gleason’s subjects are shown in mo-
ments of preparation and conflict -- his
figures have roles to assume, and in do-
ing so, a form of inner self is revealed.
His metaphoric images may seem cryp-
tic but represent the underdog and the
disenfranchised deriving fearsome capa-
bility from the mask of the powerful; fig-
ures communing with animals, or don-
ning the guise of animals, holding knives
out like some kind of animal self-protec-
tion stance or the Sisyphean struggle
of attempting to lift books when you’re
standing on them. “Hopefully, my wit
comes through in each painting. I would
feel successful if I could convey the same
kind of absurd humor found in Samuel
Beckett’s writing. The imagery is a con-
struct that has multiple meanings and
layers and I leave blanks for the view-
ers to fill in. I’ve come to see that others
bring their own stories and feelings to
the work. I’ve intentionally fostered that
kind of response with recent work, and
I’m honored and challenged in creat-
ing something that may spark others to
open their own responses to the work.
I resonate to a statement by Degas to
the effect that art is not what you see,
but what you make others see.” states
Gleason, whose work is also inspired by
novelist Cormac McCarthy and silent film
star Buster Keaton. In addition to paint-
ing, Mark teaches high school art in Palo
Alto, California and writes a music blog.
Suffused with pessimistic shadows
and redemptive illumination, Canadian
pop-surrealist painter Heather Watts’
intricate paintings harness the pageant-
ry of anthropomorphic heroes and mar-
tyrs to tell the story of individuals grap-
pling with forces larger than themselves.
“Some of the pieces for this show are
quite dark thematically, but I’m not in-
terested on focusing on the darkness for
its own sake in my work, I’m interested
in using it to show light, to paint dark-
ness as something that reveals light, to
see the darkness as a canvas for light, an
opportunity for light to shine” states the
artist. Watts is well-known for her past
tiki-inspired paintings and has exhibited
in galleries across the US and overseas.
Danni Shinya Luo’s female forms
breathe with a sensuality and intuition
that will shatter your preconceptions
about her chosen medium, the water-
color painting. Shinya’s fluid and organic
figures are full of feminine mystery and
romance. Her colorful animals are mag-
nificently fierce, emanating a primal
magnetism that is practically pheremon-
ic. In Chaotic Harmony, using whimsical
and subtly erotic figures, the interactions
of human beings with their avatars from
the animal kingdom convey modern
psychological truths while relating age-
old mythologies. The concept of this
new collection is birthed from the artist’s
own internal world; her past experiences
are transformed into physical creatures,
textures and color palettes. The subtex-
tural inclusion of archetypal symbolism
is never forced nor heavy-handed, but
further enriches the central, “surface”
view with allegorical depth — a reward
for those willing to investigate.
Originally from Shanghai, China,
Danni Shinya Luo moved to California
in 1995. She fell in love with art in grade
school and after a few years of private
study (and an apprenticeship with Chi-
nese watercolor master, Ding Ha) was
accepted into Art Center College of De-
sign in Pasadena, where she majored in
illustration and graduated with honor in
2006. Shinya participated in key group Heather Watts
shows, select solo exhibitions, and saw
her work published in periodicals like
Bust and Initiativa, books like Eye Candy
and Sugar & Spice, as well as design proj-
ects like Nickelodeon’s Neopets and a
line of toy dolls for Hasbro. In the year
that has passed since her last featured
exhibition, Spiritual Deficiencies, Shinya
has published a now sold-out collected
volume of her gallery exhibited work,
Breaking the Ice. She also helped develop
the re-branding of Marvel Comics’ signa-
ture female mutant “X-23” (providing the
cover art for the first three issues). Later
this year, her second book, Soft Candy:
The Art of Danni Shinya Luo, will be re-
leased through seminal art publisher
Last Gasp Books, featuring a collection of
200 full color pages of brand-new draw-
ings and paintings.

21
Danni Shinya Luo
 Henry Lewis & Adam Wallacavage
Corey Helford Culver City
[Mar 19 - Apt 6]

San Francisco-based artist Henry Lewis side the debut of delightful

features a dramatic new series of figu- additions, including table
rative oil paintings. Combining classical lamps and smaller handcraft-
painting techniques with tattoo-influ- ed items. Works on display
enced imagery, Lewis infuses his portrai- will be a combination of
ture with loose expressive strokes and hand-sculpted pieces cre-
raw depth. The Absence of Light, Lewis’ ated in epoxy clay as well as
new collection of works, represents a larger cast plaster sculptures.
catharsis for extraction and reflection To achieve his signature look,
based on his fixations from adolescence Wallacavage adds a thick
and family. A mirror of human emotions glaze of secret sauce, produc-
tied to memories of the present and past, ing a vibrant shimmering fin-
Lewis draws from his personal experienc- ish. Self-taught in the ancient
es creating timeless narratives and myth- art of ornamental plaster-
ological environments filled with heros, ing, Wallacavage evolved his
icons of beauty and historical artifacts. newfound skills into making
Lewis adds, “These self-made fantasy octopus-shaped chandeliers
scenes, though dark at first glance, react and continued his experimen-
with humor towards the past, free of ap- tation by making more and
athy, and curiosity of the future.” Lewis more. Wallacavage changed
was born in Pasadena, California, and the shapes and colors and
moved to San Francisco in 2000 to pur- themes, moving on to bats,
sue a career in tattooing, illustration, and snakes, elk skulls, wall sconces
painting. Lewis has worked as a tattooist and some rather silly castings
for the past 14 years and is a featured art- from his old collection of rub-
ist at the world-renowned tattoo studio, ber squeaky toys. Wallacav-
Skull & Sword. Adam Wallacavage first age’s chandeliers have been
Los Angeles solo exhibition, Dreamhome exhibited all over the world.
Heartaches, has the
Philadelphia-based
sculptor and photog-
rapher bringing his
magical wonderland
of sculptural works
to the city, unveiling
a new collection in-
spired by the deco-
rative interiors in his
Victorian Brownstone.
For the exhibition,
Wallacavage returns
to his living space as
the source of his cre-
ativity, drawing from
his personal experi-
ences and memories.
A new collection of
octopus chandeliers,
extravagant wall
sconces, and elk skull
lighting pieces will be
showcased through-
out the gallery along-

22
 “Arcane Seasons”
C.A.V.E. Venice
[Mar 11 - Apr 2]

"Arcane Seasons” features new works

by Bryan Pickens of Visalia, CA; Codak
of Los Angeles; Josh Hart of Los An-
geles, and Skount from Amsterdam.
This exhibition showcases a diversity
of styles characterized by dynamic
imagery created by abstract fluctua-
tions and sharp lines, and expressive
visual narratives capturing a moment
in time. The introspection by the art-
ists used to create each piece exudes
an inescapable subjectivity that holds
the essence to the piece, while at the
same time bestowing the viewer with
a catalyst for self-reflection. Skount
and Codak, both prolific and respected street artists, have
transferred the spontaneity used to create their large scale
urban installations into their new canvas paintings - express-
ing the same freedom as their iconic street work. Josh Hart
and Bryan Pickens work with the smooth natural surface of
wood for their introspective pieces, allowing the organic
material to envelope their colorful imagery in a comforting
but raw balance. Collectively the exhibition is an impressive
series of fresh, eye-catching styles, inspired by an observa-
tion of the things external to one-self and personal encoun-
ters that influence our thoughts and constitute the chang-
ing seasons of time.

24
 “Emergence”
Galerie Myrtis Baltimore
[Mar 11 - Apr 30]

“Emergence: Contemporary Artists to Watch” highlights art-

ists who are making an indelible mark on the contemporary
art movement. Galerie Myrtis is exhibiting a number of art-
ists from across the country, including many with ties to Bal-
timore and Washington, D.C. Emergence explores the renais-
sance of artistic expression and creativity in contemporary art,
and highlights Baltimore’s position as an up-and-coming arts
scene while raising questions about where art is going, both
geographically and intellectually. Forty artists present a variety
of compelling and technically skilled artworks. Baltimore native
Loring Cornish who makes mosaics “out of what the city has to
offer”, while Jennifer Tam’s paintings draw “on the ancient art of
Peking Opera for inspiration” and rely “on visual artistry, masks
and makeup, as well as a rich vocabulary of symbolic gestures,
props, and colors that are unique to Chinese culture. Daniel Ev-
erett uses an “eclectic aesthetic for religion and art in the juxta-
position of patterns, iconic poses, mythological creatures, gods
and goddesses, and entwines these elements with the portraits
of” his loved ones in whimsical and highly-skilled painting and
drawings. For his works, James Williams II has used the “bright
color palettes and stylized figures” of popular culture to create
“a story set in the United States during the 1930s” and “centered
on the protagonist Little Rooster.”

25
 “LYRIC”
323East
Royal Oak, MI
[Mar 19 - Apr 19]
“It's got a good beat and you can paint to
it,” says Gary Barr. “Forgive the pun, para-
phrase, or whatever else you deign to call
that opening sentence. “ Barr is not mak-
ing light of Lyric, a forthcoming show at
323East that he curated. “I’m just happy
to see that, in an art world filled with far
too many ambiguously-themed exhibits
that this show will feature two-dozen or
so works by an impressive list of artists.
It’s a group shows that don't require a re-
fresher course “ The common denomina-
tor at the very heart of Lyric is — as the
title so obviously suggests — music. As
Barr notes, “What is heard, what comes
from or is fashioned by the musical scale
of notes, is often the immediate prelude
to what is felt on the emotional roster
of our feelings. Everyone has a favorite
song or (conversely) a song they wish
they could banish from thought because
the latter carries a baggage of bitter-
sweet memories.” Likewise a line from a
particular song may prompt a multitude
of images in the mind of the listener. And
if the listener is prone to pick up a pen or
a brush on occasion.’” That was the start-
ing point for every piece in this exhibit.
Barr asked each participant to “tran-
scribe" a musical motif and its words
onto canvas. The result is an impressive
show, one lacking in discordant notes. As
Barr lays it out, "Music and its lyrics can
always stimulate our emotions and it can
have us contemplating a visional narra-
tive. Lyrics have been known to be the
fodder of some of the greatest works in
the world.” This exhibition demonstrates
the artists’ personal transcription from a
songs lyric to canvas.

26
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
ANGER
"A.K.A" on La Brea and Melrose behind Jetrag, 2009;
painted for show "Dress My Nest"
A Los Angeles-based graffiti writer
for over 25 years, Anger has traveled
through the nation painting his graf-
fiti art as well as curating for graffiti art
shows. He wrote different monikers be-
fore Anger and was heavily influenced
by best friends Axis and Rob One.
In ’86 Anger and his friends formed
a small crew. Essentially like a clique or
small group of friends who would skate,
tag, and just hang out after school. He
got his name one night while out with
Rob One. “One night we were catch-
ing tags, and Rob at the time wrote the
name “Ager”. “He caught a tag on a truck
30
that I really liked,” says Anger. Coinciden-
tally Anger’s mom often called him “An-
gry”. Right then, he realized that all he
needed to do was to add the “n”. From
that point forward, he started to write
the name “Anger”.
It wasn’t until 1988 that his close
friend Danny, who tagged the name
“Tren”, got expelled from Hamilton High
for macing the classroom. Tren soon got
transferred to Fairfax High where there
he meet another graffiti writer “Crook”,
who was a part of another graffiti crew
called CBS (CAN’T BE STOPPED). Crook
introduced Tren to SK8 (skate) one, the
Ana Kim
Profiles the
CBS Crew
leader of the CBS crew. At that time, SK8
one was scouting to for new recruits.
From that point, Tren made a strong
bond with the CBS crew and soon in-
troduced all of his old friends to his new
friends. That’s how Anger, Tren, Bias, Xink,
Axis, Lynk, and Exer became apart of CBS
graffiti crew; all seven were recruited at
that time. SK8 wanted his new recruits
to not just “tag” their names, he wanted
to inspire them to develop new artistic
letter styles and to paint more “graffiti
style murals” consisting of background
themes with characters and letters.
Anger — along with the rest of the

CBS crew — roamed the alleys of Melrose
Ave from Fairfax High to La Brea Blvd
where they painted in the alleys estab-
lishing the area making it “their” CBS ter-
ritory. In 1992-93, SK8 and Mear, another
CBS member, were asked by shop own-
ers of Beat Non Stop to paint their record
store. Due to the over-saturation of tags,
the shop owners allowed the CBS crew
to paint graffiti style murals on the front
and back of the building. These murals
brought them such positive feedback
from the neighborhood that CBS crew
became the local artists on Melrose.
In 1993, though, SK8 one passed
away. Nevertheless, Anger wanted to
keep CBS crew going and from there on
took over SK8’s roll as leader. He contin-
ued organizing crew meetings in order to
keep everyone focused. This leadership
kept the crew going. In ’98 he moved
with friend and fellow CBS member Tyer.
to a warehouse spot on to Washing-
ton and Hauser, which had a basketball
court and walls to paint on. He started
to throw local art events — more of an
intimate close friends hanging out such
as CBS, MTA, and Westcoast Crews . The
warehouse became a place where they
would all socialize and collaborate artis-
(clockwise from top right:) Anger with his two sons; as part of CBS production on Melrose behind Golden
Apple Comics, 2008; Anger (long hair) with Sk8 and Krasher in 1989; Anger; “old school” photo taken by Nace.
tically. Later on in 1998, Anger started
to travel up north to the bay area with
Rob One to visit Posh, a CBS member
who established a strong relationship
with another Bay area graffiti crew, the
“Lord’s Crew” aka TFL (The Fuckin’ Lords).
It wasn’t too long at the end of ‘98 An-
ger and Rob one got recruited in Lord’s.
From there a brotherhood was formed
between CBS and Lord’s.
In 1999, the events at Anger’s
warehouse got bigger than he came up
with Chicken Scratch, another way of de-
scribing term graffiti. Anger had gotten
a taste of being a promoter and he saw
an opportunity to become a curator.
In 2001, though, the law caught
him. Although this was not the first time,
this time was worse. He had to serve jail
time due to an incident that took place
in Venice Beach. In fact, he was gunned
down by the LAPD. Fortunately, he sur-
vived the injuries and served his jail time.
After he got out, he got right back on
track of pursuing his career as a curator.
Later on in 2003, he curated one
of his the biggest graffiti events in Los
Angeles called Grafflosangeles. Held at
Quotpia (now called Vanguard), he orga-
nized and promoted along with his close
friend Jimmy. Grafflosangeles is still the
largest graffiti event ever to take place in
Los Angeles. For it, Anger utilized all of
his resources that he had built up since
the days of throwing events such as
Chicken Scratch.
Anger’s main priority today is be-
ing a curator,designer, and most impor-
tantly a family man raising two lovely
sons, Landon and Logan, with “Mrs. An-
ger”, aka Lisa.
Anger is painting at or curating at the fol-
lowing events. From March 10-13, 2011, he
will be live-painting throughout out the
city of San Antonio. CBS crew members,
along with many other graffiti writer and
crews nation wide, will participate in San
Antonio, TX-based, annual graffiti show
Clogged Caps. On April 22, 2011 in San
Francisco, cobra(cbs) vs lords:10 CBS and
10 Lord’s Crew members will participate.
Some of the artist showcasing are Alex
Pardee, Axis, Xpres, Defy, Greg “Crayola”
Simkins, Haste, Chip 7, Dment, Atlas, Hex,
Worm, Pastime, Vows, Robert Bowen,
Naote, Dj LA JAE (will also be performing
live), Rebuke and many more to be deter-
mined. For more info, visit www.p1sf.com
31
 Ana Kim Profiles the CBS Crew
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
RICHARD XPRES”TAYLOR
Xpres is self-taught, multifaceted artist
from Los Angeles. He is the son of Rich-
ard Taylor, Sr., a 60’s poster artist for The
Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin who
dropped out of the military academy
in 1973 to fulfill his dream as an artist.
Taylor, Sr., got his foot in door at Robert
Abel’s studio in Hollywood, working as a
special effects artist. He was best known
for working on the special effects in the
1982 movie Tron and later video games.
Xpres himself was raised in a heav-
32
ily-influenced, psychedelic, and artistic
environment has opened his mind to
various types of animations, such as The
Secret of Nimh and The Black Cauldron.
Living in Venice beach and Highland
Park for most of his youth had a big im-
pact on his eclectic outlook on life. In the
beginning of his graffiti career, Richard,
Jr., went through several monikers be-
fore settling on the name “Xpres” in 1988.
In ‘92 Xpres started working for
Conart clothing apparel owner Ash Hud-
son. At the age of 17, this was the begin-
ning of his art career. Although he got
accepted to UC-Santa Cruz, he decided
not enroll in college, putting school on
hold. Later in that same year, he got re-
cruited by SK8 One, leader of the graffiti
crew CBS at Fairfax High School. In the
next year the head designer for Conart
studios, Mear One left the company to
pursue his own apparel line Hoodlum.
From there on, Ash decided to make
Xpress and Phever his head designers.

At the end of 1993, due to vandal-
ism charges, he received up to 600 hours
of community service. From that point
he realized, it was time to move out of
Los Angeles for a change in scenery. He
moved to San Francisco, attending state
college in the Bay Area working at Jamba
Juice. In 1994, he did his first aerosol on
canvas for graffiti art show, curated by
Stash M for I.C.U. art. The art show was
called Graffiti Verte and featured other
artist like Chaz, Spy and Twist One.
In 1995, Xpres came to visit Los
Angeles and got caught tagging the 110
Freeway tunnel near Dodger Stadium,
earning him more community service
and some time in jail.
With the help from a close friend,
Phever, he moved back to Highland Park
Los Angeles in December 1996. In ’99, he
enrolled in Art Center College of Design
in Pasadena for two years. While attend-
ing Art Center, he learned how to use dif-
ferent mediums and varying techniques.
He graduated with a degree in fine arts
and illustration. At that time, Photoshop
designers were in high demand and tra-
ditional illustrators were becoming a lost
art form. For the next two years, he got a
job at a print shop doing color corrective
work. Wanting to keep up with current
illustrators, he also enrolled in computer
classes at Pasadena City College.
Armed with his new computer
skills, he started working back into the
apparel industry in 2002 . It wasn’t until
2007 that he came back strong, design-
ing for a junior’s line for Hybrid apparel.
Hybrid allowed him to be free with his
ideas, enabling him to use some of own
his graffiti work on T-shirt designs. His
animal series designs for Hybrid featured
his moniker “Xpres CBS” . They were sold
in brand name department stores like
Sears. A few years later working at Hy-
brid became less fulfilling. The company
had him concentrating more on layouts
and less on design, stifling his creativity.
In 2008, he had the opportunity
to curate an annual art show held at the
Bo Bridges Gallery in Hermosa Beach
called Surfside Artillery. This allowed him
to express his creative side once again.
Vans sponsored the event, donating
over thirty pairs of shoes stickers and
apparel. This annual art show gave him
the creative power to introduce other
crew members and artists that were not
apart of Hybrid apparel. He also got the
honor of painting on Santa Monica’s fa-
mous shaper and owner of “Fluid Dry
Surfboards” Tim Ferris. The surfboard
Tim shaped became a collaboration of
Xpress and Esel, another artist and close
friend and crew member, contributed
the pin-stripping detail.
Surfing, in fact, happens to be an-
other of Xpres’s passions. He relates it
to how he paints: “not to second-guess
things, to go right in and just do it”. In
turn, many of his paintings are influ-
enced by vintage surf art as well as LA
street culture. Another strong influ-
ence is multifaceted artist, Ed Roth, well
known for working with different medi-
ums, surfaces, and designs for apparels,
print (silk screening), and canvas work.
Xpres currently uses more allegory
or symbolism in his conceptual paintings
allowing viewers to make out their own
interpretation of the storytelling of his
work. He takes on strong political view
less than he previous has. Working with
tangible mediums and designing graph-
ics for apparel (slightly less so) is the
present focus of his art career. Finding
that presentation and designing apparel
in itself is extremely time consuming. It’s
important for him to find a balance be-
tween commerce and artistry. As he says,
“Commercial work can drain your pas-
sion to create conceptual canvas works.”
It’s been along time coming, Richard
“Xpres” Taylor will be hosting his first solo
show “Bar Flies & Snake Eyes” on March
5, 2011 at the Solid One Gallery on 334 N.
Fairfax Ave. in Los Angeles CA. The show
will go on until April 24th come check it
out! For more info, visit www.urbanartil-
lery.net and www.solidgalleryone.net/ex-
hibitions_availableXPRES.html
33
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
DJ LA JAE
DJ L.A. Jae is best known as a DJ and
for producing underground sensation The
Shape Shifters for the past 14 years. LA JAE
has been a DJ in clubs since the age 13.
LA JAE has also been a graffiti writer since
the 1980s and is known for his throw-ups
and stencils. He begun in LA, then eventu-
ally worked throughout the nation and
Europe. He was involved in the Finland un-
derground hip hop scene. Over the years,
he has produced and remixed hits for per-
formers like Tony-Toni Tone and Vanessa
Williams. Right now, DJ La Jae is finishing a
new Shape Shifter album as well as working
on Radioinactive’s album. He has recently
begun working on canvas in mix media and
collaborating in part with Mama CBS. His
first show of this work premiered in January
2011 at New Puppy Gallery in Los Angeles.
On March 24, he will be performing a live
music set at the Echoplex in Echo Park, L.A.
34
“My life in general, I break at least
three laws a day -- a pusher man, run with
people that do bad things, tour the world,
get treated like a king, then sleep on
some dirt bag’s floor, write on anything I
can, and so on and so forth.
“My favorite way of getting up all
of them from bombing big letters, tags,
stencils, slap tags, scribes — which ever
way I can get away with, at the time I’m at
any given place. I’m always looking to get
a spot doesn’t matter how or what style
just as long as my name or my crew gets
up. It’s like a fun game you can play any-
where at anytime. Gra-fe-tay and my life
are as one. Where’s ever’s me’s goes graf-
fiti goes too. It’s in my contract.
“I write for the thrill of it, I like the
way it feels when I see my name up. And
I can’t lie. I like it more when other people
In His Own Words
see it that feels goooooood. From getting
chased by gangs to hunting fools down in
the train yards, climbing huge hills to get
to a wall, ducking from cops, rolling with
my sicko partners on missions to get up...”
“Writing is like the gift that keeps
on giving. The whole thing is a big rush
you can’t really explain cause every time
it’s a different experience. Man if I haven’t
stopped by now I don’t ever see myself
stopping. I Can’t Be Stopped! Once you
stop its over your name is dead. At least
that’s how I see it.”
From March 10-13, LA Jae will DJ and paint
live (on wall) with fellow CBS crew members
in San Antonio for the annual graffiti show
Clogged Caps. In April, he will live DJ and
showcase his canvas work at “COBRA vs.
LORDS” in San Francisco. www.p1sf.com
 Charles Swenson

Showing at The Hive, Los Angeles

and Marji Gallery, Santa Fe
8835 Crescent Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90046
323 656-9733 charlesgswenson.com unklbob@mac.com
 dionysus records

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