Jonathan LeVine Gallery
529 W. 20th Street, 9E
New York, NY 10011
phone: 212-243-3822
info@jonathanlevinegallery.com
DOZE GREEN: N.O.O.N.
Gallery I
Solo Exhibit
October 18 thru November 15
Opening reception - Saturday, October 18th 7pm-9pm
NEW YORK, NY (September 30, 2008) — Jonathan LeVine Gallery is pleased to announce N.O.O.N., a solo exhibition of new works by Doze Green. The artist returns for his second solo show at the gallery, having created a new series of original charcoal drawings and mixed media paintings on canvas and wood panel. Using a variety of materials such as ink, gouache, metallic pigments, and collage, Doze Green speaks in a creative voice from the collective consciousness, applying a symbolist approach to metaphysical concepts. Often compared to Basquiat, his urban background and involvement in the early hip-hop graffiti movement of NYC in the late 70’s, early 80’s, led him to transition from creating art in the streets and subways into the gallery setting.
In N.O.O.N., Doze Green’s signature style of figurative abstraction and use of letterforms remain prominent, yet the organic cubist quality of his images has evolved. The high-contrast fluid line work characteristic of earlier paintings is now rendered in a fuller, more tonal palette, complemented by the introduction of an element not seen in his work previously—layers of collaged imagery. The artist’s genealogy inspires many of the themes he explores, his aesthetic influences include a mixture of ancient civilizations and indigenous cultures, including his own Afro-Caribbean roots. His totem-like human and animal figures are conceptually based on various polytheistic deities. These divinities represent sentinels, the guardians of universal truths. Immortal warriors warning mankind of dangers society has manifested, looming on the horizon and threatening to destroy us.
The show title, N.O.O.N., stands for No One Observes Nibiru. This references the planet X prophecy of a cataclysmic cosmic shift occurring in the year 2012, causing dramatic effects to life on earth. Also a prominent year in the Mayan and Hopi calendars, 2012 marks the end of our current solar cycle, signifying transition into a new age. Inspired by these theories, there is a transitional quality to the artwork. Movement, migration and transformation of form combine to form enigmatically kinetic narratives. Portals and beams of energy, layered over collaged media clippings, surround Green’s figures which echo social diaspora of the past, yet also seem to be preparing for a futuristic voyage of sorts—a survivalist evacuation plan for the great escape from doomsday.
Blek Le Rat
Paris-New York, New York-Paris
October 18 thru November 15
Opening reception - Saturday, October 18th 7pm-9pm
NEW YORK, NY (September 30, 2008) — Jonathan LeVine Gallery is pleased to present Paris—New York, New York—Paris, a solo exhibition featuring new works by Xavier Prou, also known as Blek le Rat. Prou was among the six artists who participated in the Streets of Europe group show at Jonathan LeVine Gallery in 2007. For this show, he has created a new collection of large-scale paintings using pouchoir (stencil) techniques, and a video installation featuring his interventional street art pieces over the past 25 years. Blek le Rat returns to the gallery for Paris—New York, New York—Paris, marking a much-anticipated first solo show in New York for this celebrated artist.
Paris—New York, New York—Paris combines historical references with social commentary through Blek’s iconic pop-culture and self-portrait based imagery. Adding a human element to his often politically charged messages by incorporating himself into his subjects, Blek uses his own likeness to represent the artist in all of us. Some of the pieces contain religious context as, in a tribute to both Warhol and Da Vinci—we find Adam with Eve, holding a banana rather than an apple. Another painting portrays the artist seated in the place of Christ at The Last Supper table. Political symbolism is also prevalent, offering war commentary through an army of marching soldiers carrying paintbrushes in the place of rifles. Doves of peace appear in several of the works, as well as a gasoline truck driven by a laughing man, an unmistakable statement on the fuel crisis.
Perhaps the most compelling element of Blek le Rat’s work is his use of humor. One of the new paintings simply reads: “BANKSY?” next to a figure, which resembles The Invisible Man. This speaks to the media’s recent obsession with revealing the famed contemporary British street artist’s true identity. Although Blek le Rat’s work is often compared to (and at times confused for) work created by Banksy, Banksy himself has actually been quoted as saying that he is heavily influenced by his predecessor, Blek le Rat, whom much of his work pays homage to.
