The PUSH PROJECT is an exhibition
exploring the aesthetics of skateboarding culture within the
context of contemporary art. Organized by veteran curator
Larry Reid and artist Nin Truong, the show features the work
of eight internationally recognized artists working in a variety
of disciplines. This exhibition provides a lively examination
of a movement that has become a permanent part of our cultural
landscape.
Each participating artist has designed a skateboard
deck, which has been produced in a limited edition of 40,
and will be displayed alongside a body of the artist's recent
work. The installation will encourage viewers to draw parallels
between the iconography of skateboard graphics and current
trends in contemporary art.
PUSH will include new work by a stellar group
of artists. Los Angeles photographer, filmmaker, and writer
C. R. Stecyk is widely acknowledged as the founding father
of the modern skateboarding counterculture. His contributions
to the movement were chronicled in last year’s highly
acclaimed documentary film Dogtown and Z-Boys (Sony Classic
Pictures). Stecyk sets the tone for the exhibition with a
series of hand-painted decks recalling his early work for
Dogtown and Powell Peralta.
Painter and ceramic artist Charles Krafft gained
international recognition with his “Porcelain War Museum”
project, which has been exhibited in museums and galleries
throughout North America and Europe. His work is currently
on display at White Box @ The Annex in New York City. A new
book, Charles Krafft’s Villa Delirium (Last Gasp) was
published in December.
Alternative cartoonist and painter Jim Woodring
has had his singular vision published in several volumes worldwide
(Fantagraphics Books) and remains one of a handful of cartoonists
to be embraced by fine art institutions. In recent years Woodring’s
art has become increasingly popular in Japan.
Shawn Wolfe combines elements of Japanese anime,
machine age motifs, and hip-hop graffiti to create his distinctive
visual style. His work is documented in the book Uncanny (Ginko
Press) and he is currently the subject of a cover feature
in the prestigious graphic design journal Print Quarterly.
Metal sculptor Ries Niemi enjoys national recognition
for his public works in cities across the country, among them
the entry gates to Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners.
He is currently in the completion stages of a monumental public
art project for a commuter rail station in the city of Pasadena,
CA. His deck design, a satire of Microsoft mogul Bill Gates
is one of many highlights in the PUSH exhibition.
Painter, cartoonist and writer Randy Wood is
a regular contributor for the Tablet magazine, and exhibits
his work frequently in galleries throughout the Northwest.
Graphic designer Jeff Kleinsmith is Art Director
for Seattle’s famed Sub Pop record label and has created
countless posters for concerts nationwide.
PUSH is organized by independent curator and
freelance critic Larry Reid together with artist Nin Truong.
Reid is the former director of Seattle’s Center on Contemporary
Art (CoCA) and has produced hundreds of experimental contemporary
art exhibitions and performances in the U.S., Canada and Europe
throughout his 25-year career. He co-authored the aforementioned
volume on the work of Charles Krafft, his longtime collaborator.
Truong is an instructor in Design in the Department of Architecture
and Urban Planning at the University of Washington as well
as a visual artist. He is currently involved in a major public
art project at the King County Juvenile Courthouse and Detention
Center in Seattle in addition to his duties as head designer
at Manik Skateboards, the primary sponsor of the PUSH exhibition.
The show originated at Roq la Rue Gallery in Seattle and continues
its national tour at Cal State Fullerton’s Grand Central
Art Center in Santa Ana, California.
A selection of images in a variety of formats
is available for publication by contacting Nin Truong at ninrock@yahoo.com.
For additional information on the PUSH PROJECT please contact
Andrea Harris at 714.567.7233 or e-mail at aharris@fullerton.edu. |