ONe Pink MOtherf- by William Wray
31 Artists • The Pink Show • Castelli Art Space
November 30 – December 3 • 5428 W. Washington Blvd. • Los Angeles, CA. 90016
For show information contact [email protected]
by Carlos Iglesias
Seonna Hong has been labeled as a Lowbrow Artist and I detest that label and the moniker it represents. There is nothing Lowbrow about Seonna. I would put her up against any artist out there right now. She has an impeccable touch and the beauty of nature that radiates through her Oeuvre harkens to the masters of Asian art, but with a modern twist. The deep reflection on the human connection to nature and our connections to one another proves a deep respect in her work for the world that surrounds us all, a respect invoked by shapes and colors to understand and celebrate the life we have been granted.
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I left Shepard’s Manifesto be the voice for his work as I believe that he represents himself best. I also chose more politically charged images as, to me, Shepard is one of the most powerful voices of dissent in Art.
Shepard Fairey Manifesto: The OBEY sticker campaign can be explained as an experiment in Phenomenology. Heidegger describes Phenomenology as “the process of letting things manifest themselves.” Phenomenology attempts to enable people to see clearly something that is right before their eyes, but obscured; things that are so taken for granted that they are muted by abstract observation.
The first aim of phenomenology is to reawaken a sense of wonder about one’s environment. The obey sticker attempts to stimulate curiosity and bring people to question both the sticker and their relationship with their surroundings.
Because people are not used to seeing advertisements or propaganda for which the product or motive is not obvious, frequent and novel encounters with the sticker provoke thought and possible frustration, nevertheless revitalizing the viewer’s perception and attention to detail. The sticker has no meaning, but exists only to cause people to react, to contemplate and search for meaning in the sticker. Because OBEY has no actual meaning, the various reactions and interpretations of those who view it reflect their personality and the nature of their sensibilities. Many people who are familiar with the sticker find the image itself amusing, recognizing it as nonsensical, and are able to derive straightforward visual pleasure without burdening themselves with an explanation. The PARANOID OR CONSERVATIVE VIEWER however, may be confused by the sticker’s persistent presence and condemn it as an underground cult with subversive intentions. Many stickers have been peeled down by people who were annoyed by them, considering them an eye sore and an act of petty vandalism, which is ironic considering the number of commercial graphic images everyone in American society is assaulted with daily.
Another phenomenon the sticker has brought to light is the trendy and CONSPICUOUSLY CONSUMPTIVE nature of many members of society. For those who have been surrounded by the sticker, its familiarity and cultural resonance are comforting and owning a sticker provides a souvenir or keepsake, a memento. People have often demanded the sticker merely because they have seen it everywhere and possessing a sticker provides a sense of belonging. The Giant sticker seems mostly to be embraced by those who are (or at least want to seem to be) rebellious. Even though these people may not know the meaning of the sticker, they enjoy its slightly disruptive underground quality and wish to contribute to the furthering of its humorous and absurd presence which seems to somehow be antiestablishment/societal convention. Giant stickers are both embraced and rejected, the reason behind which, upon examination reflects the psyche of the viewer. Whether the reaction be positive or negative, the stickers existence is worthy as long as it causes people to consider the details and meanings of their surroundings. In the name of fun and observation.
The 31 PINK show artists include:
Aron Wiesenfeld
Ashley Wood
Andrea Bogdan
Bill Barminski
Bradford J. Salamon
Chris Reccardi
David Lipson
David Buckingham
Dave Cooper
David Sharpe
Escoto + Carrara
Gig Depio
Glenn Barr
Gordon Smedt
Gronk
Jenniffer Pochinski
John Brosio
Jorge Pinzón Casasbuenas
Loic Zimmermann
Mark English
Michael Flechtner
Noah Becker
Pablo Llana
Pat Riot
Rafael Serrano
Robert Soffian
Sean Cheetham
Seonna Hong
Shepard Fairey
Steven Skollar
William Wray
Wyatt Mills
Get caught up on “The Pink pop-up Show” here …