As we begin the New Year, here’s a quick look back at a few of the highlights from HVW8 in 2011, and what’s upcoming in 2012.
Exhibitions:
We started the year off with Mark McKee’s Seen/Unknown. This exhibit consisted of a selection of Mark McKee’s personal favorites from over 20 years of legendary skateboard artwork. From old classic decks to new limited edition prints to never-before-seen original drawings and paintings, McKee’s work is a must see for skateboarders and art enthusiasts alike.
Read more on Transworld Skateboard site.
Joshua Prince, aka Dust La Rock, made his Los Angeles gallery debut with the new exhibition Joking Victim, an intimate, stark exploration into the themes of pain versus pleasure, free will versus destiny, fetishism, the occult and mortality. A true mixed media collaboration, Joking Victim consisted of works on paper, photographs, and a short film in which La Rock teamed with a team of innovative artists to help bring his vision to life, including photographers Angela Boatwright, Kareem Black and tattoo artist JK5. The opening reception featured music by Jokers Of The Scene and culminated with the Los Angeles debut of Bruce LaBruce’s queer cinema horror film L.A. Zombie.
A few photos exist on Mishka’s site.
Anthony Lister Junk Food Arthouse at HVW8
Anthony Lister’s tireless approach to living is an unrelenting approach to art. His name and imagery are on street corners worldwide, accessing a massive audience by way of stickers, aerosol paint and all manner of markers. His paintings, drawings, sculptures and happenings pull from his experiences as a youth in Australia and as a father of two. Super Heroes, skateboarding, graffiti, Australian gangster celebrities, television, jail birds, tattoos, the internet, pop and advertising resurface in his art practice. With invitational residencies in London and New York, a mentorship under Max Gimblett, a CV as long as your arm—including shows at Elms Lester London, New Image Art L.A., Metro 5 Gallery Melbourne and K Gallery Italy—numerous awards and monographs, Anthony Lister’s renown among peers, curators and collectors is testament not just to his extreme productivity but his work’s exceptional potency.
Read more about the opening on LA Weekly.
The How Original Show by Parra
Dutch artist Parra returned to Los Angeles’ HVW8 Art + Design Gallery with The How Original Show. An exhibition consisting of all new work in the form of drawings and paintings, revealing the process of sketch to final piece. Each work is an original, a departure from his well known numbered silkscreen editions. Look out for Parra at the SF MOMA in March.
Read the re-cap on Hypebeast
We Was Them Kids … Group Exhibition
With “We Was Them Kids …”, HVW8 curator Tyler Gibney pulled together some of the finest contemporary artist/designers to have exhibited at the HVW8 Gallery in recent years.
Works ranged from Amsterdam resident Parra’s post-pop imagery of highly saturated colors, vibrant hand-drawn letters and worlds inhabited by hybrid, surreal characters to Geoff McFetridge’s communicative pieces in sculpture, drawing and design that echo with humor and insight. Yogi Proctor proliferates decoys. These works span a variety of mediums, appearances, and approaches, de-stablizing notions of “originality” and “artist” with wit and agility.
From Brooklyn, Kevin Lyons brought his sharp tongue together with sharpie, stepping away from his A-List clientele as Creative Director of the internationally known ad agency Anomoly, to have some fun with his madhouse of characters and type. Brent Rollins (best known for his Boyz In The Hood and Mo Better Blues logos as well as being one of the creators of Ego Trip) continued his visual relationship between design and music, while Miami’s Alvaro Ilizarbe’s work explored space, energy, and tension through hypnotizing large scale black and white patterns.
Winston Tseng and Matt Irving departed from their skateboard and design backgrounds with original work, and French born/Hong Kong resident Charles Munka (well known in Los Angeles for his work with Flying Lotus) brought his post graffiti stylings to round out this exhibition.
A few of Brent Rollin’s prints are still available.
Events :
adidas, HVW8, Snoop and present The Dogg House
In Feburary we hosted the Dogghouse with adidas and Snoop where different artists came to celebrate the art of Joe Cool and Snoop. We were lucky to have an impromptu performance with Snoop and Dam-Funk in the Gallery parking lot.
Read in more in the LA Times.
Since opening the Gallery, we have recorded a number of live music Podcasts with a number of local and international artists and even helped the formation of a couple bands, like Master Blazter and the Hawthorne Headhunters. We continued this tradition with the likes of Strong Arm Steady, J-Davey, Computer Killer at Kutmah to name a few last year, along with ever present hosts Ty G And Just Max.
Listen here. Or Subscribe free via iTunes.
Other :
adidas All Originals, Iconics feat HVW8.
HVW8 Co-Founder Tyler Gibney was featured in the international adidas commericial All Orginals, Iconics ad with Big Sean, Dwight Howard, Snoop Dogg, Odd Future, Jeremy Scott, Sky Ferreira, Pusha T.
Wonder What It Do Music Video :
Our feel good summer music video for Snoop’s “Wonder What It Do” feat. Uncle Chucc. Produced by HVW8 with Direction by Soupbone. Also featuring Anwar Carrots, Taz Arnold, dstrbo, le connecteur, Stamp’d, Billy Goods, Computer Jay, J-1, and Battlecat.
HVW8 at Fresh Start in Watts for SEIU
HVW8 has tried to continue a social mandate since its early Political Minded exhibitions. Last fall we continued this tradition, painting with kids at Ted Watkins Memorial Park in Watts as part with of the SEIU’s Fresh Festival.
Upcoming –
This year we’ll continue the good fight with exhibitions from Lisa Leone, Alvaro Ilizarbe and many more, along with music, events and everything quality you expect from HVW8. Make sure to follow at www.hvw8.com
Cheers.