Pure Evil – JFK’s Nightmare
When: 29th October – 4th November 2013, open 12 noon – 8pm daily
Where: The Rag Factory, 16-18 Heneage Street (off Brick Lane), London E1 5LJ
£: Free
What is it?
Lyes & Jones bring their latest exhibition, Go Hard or Go Home, to The Rag Factory just off Brick Lane in London. The show will feature exclusive work by some of the art world’s most acclaimed street and outsider artists, including works from Pure Evil, Cyclops, Beejoir and Mambo. The exhibition will take place from 29th October to 4th November,
Go Hard or Go Home epitomizes the work that has made these artists ‘must haves’ in prestigious collections across the globe. Though often self-taught and with a healthy disregard for the ‘rules’, these are some of today’s most influential and exciting artists. They come from a host of seemingly diverse and unorthodox backgrounds; street art, graffiti, rave, skateboarding, film and fashion. These forms of art have undoubtedly played a huge part in modernising the current art scene and surrounding culture. Go Hard or Go Home exists to highlight the global reach of this scene with never before seen work from both it’s established players and the newer emerging artists.
In his first collaboration with Lyes & Jones, accomplished curator J Patrick Boyle will bring the authenticity and excitement of the streets from where this work has evolved. An established artist himself, he first became involved in the art that came out of the rave scene of the late 1980’s, and has continued into what he describes as ‘the post-street art’ landscape. Hailing from one of street art’s strongholds, Bristol, Boyle has curated numerous hugely successful shows, including bringing a huge list of international artists to last year’s See No Evil ‘street gallery’, as well as exhibiting regularly himself as an artist.
Mambo – Badadada
The exhibition will showcase the work of over 15 international artists. Some of the most established and instantly recognisable names include Pure Evil, Cyclops, Sweet Toof and Sickboy. All of these artists’ work has grown from its origins on the streets to gallery walls without loosing any of its bite.
A descendent of former Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas More, who wrote the controversial Utopia in 1516, Pure Evil’s work unequivocally explores the darker side of the wreckage of Utopian dream.
After 10 years in California where he first discovered street art, Pure Evil plotted and started producing dark new prints and artwork in a tiny shed in the Black Mountains of Wales. He subsequently moved back to London and debuted his first Pure Evil Solo Show then opened his eponymous Pure Evil Gallery in Shoreditch in 2007. He has since become one of the world’s most established street artists, regularly appearing in exhibitions and auctions across the globe, including, China, Russia, Mongolia, Brazil & USA as well as an interesting appearance on BBC’s The Apprentice.
Another of the exhibiting artists, Cyclops, founded the legendary BC (Before Chrome/Burning Candy) crew, bringing an, as then unseen, epic style to the streets of London, Paris, New York and beyond. One of their most renowned works was the painting of the UK’s largest illegal mural completed in broad daylight, following which they had their work hung in London’s Tate Modern. Following his arrest, which was seen in Banksy’s Oscar nominated film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Cyclops work with the crew stopped as quickly as it started and he moved down from the rooftops and into the studio to focus exclusively on painting. His work now takes the ideas of traditional portraiture and he pushes it in the direction of the street by linking together two forms, realism and abstraction. The resultant images create a tension between beauty and decay, between thought and action.
Cyclops
This is set to be an extraordinary exhibition, giving people the chance to see captivating works from a number of leading artists including, and Parisian-based Mambo and Beejoir, who will be unveiling a number of new sculpture works for this special exhibition
English-born artist, Beejoir, originally shot to fame on the back of his frequently political or religiously charged work, including the hugely popular LV Child, Turin Scam and his dripping spot paintings that slyly poked fun at the ‘seriousness’ of Damien Hirst’s spot paintings. In recent years Beejoir’s work has moved in an interesting direction, translating the humorous and politically charged nature of his earlier works into stunning sculptures often utilising shredded dollar bills, gold and other ‘commodities’.
In contrast, Mambo was born and raised in Latin America and his influence came from his ability to converse with people from both the ghettos to the richer areas. He has endeavored to develop a language for all, combining observation, ambiguity and humour, ‘but the core theme is always humanity’. Typical with many artists in this scene, Mambo’s success has led to an array of collaborative opportunities, seeing his work on TV shows, as well as collaborations with fashion icons such as Muccia Prada and Agnès B.
More info: www.gohardorgohome.info