Allouche Gallery will open its doors to Spray Painterly, a group show curated by Stickymonger, featuring works by Gucci Ghost, Michael Reeder, Paul Insect and UFO907. The exhibition debuts on October 21st and continues until November 16th, 2021.
Spray Painterly aims to advance the notion of spray paint as a fine art medium. While some categorize spray paint with graffiti and vandalism, curator and artist Stickymonger challenges this perception and believes that spray paint is indeed a gallery medium. The featured artists are from diverse artistic backgrounds, all of whom utilize spray paint conventionally and unconventionally to express their character-based styles.
Gucci Ghost allows spray paint to drip over his graphic depictions of Casper the Friendly Ghost with designer emblems emphasizing his distinctive street style.
Michael Reeder‘s combination of mediums on multilayered surfaces drives his inspiration. His fictional characters are a vehicle for self-examination. He says, “My work consists of flat graphic expanses of space alongside colorful patterning in combination with realistically rendered areas of human anatomy.”
Artist, Paul Insect. Image courtesy of the gallery.
Paul Insect was known for his witty stencil and spray-painted works before transitioning to a more traditional gallery form with color-drenched oils and acrylics. His multi-media works boast sharp-edged figures that combine Pointillism and Dada absurdism with modern sleekness.
UFO907 was lured into the graffiti/vandalism subculture after abandoning his fine arts background; however, his unconventional spray-painting technique and highly expressive line work noticeably stemmed from his art education. His work exemplified massive finger control and originality, which caught the attention of galleries and collectors alike. UFO907 ushered graffiti into the Street Art movement, where street artists found a bridge into the gallery world.
Stickymonger will be exhibiting her own work in Spray Painterly. She uses a variety of spray paints in her large-scale textural portraits of young girls. All feature expressive eyes rendered in a nostalgic fashion with subtle hints of surrealism.
Artist, Michael Reeder. Image courtesy of the gallery.
Stickymonger’s artistic career began with mural installations composed of custom stickers that she sliced from huge sheets of vinyl and installed by hand. She rapidly established herself in the fine contemporary art space with her mastery of diverse mediums.
Her fascination with spray paint began as she pushed the boundaries of her practice, experimenting with the chemistry and physics of the medium. She says, “I’m not from a fine art background, nor a graffiti background. I’m exploring new types of this material by hacking the caps of the cans and manipulating technique to attain my own unique visual language.”
One of the pieces Stickymonger will be exhibiting is of a schoolgirl wearing a proper boarding school uniform holding spray paint cans. The work reflects the contradiction between an “uptight” and regimented school uniform and the freedom spray paint represents, her intention for the whole show and an acknowledgement of the evolution of the medium in contemporary fine arts.
Spray Painterly, curated by Stickymonger, will be on view from October 21 to November 16, 2021 with an Opening Reception on Thursday, October 21st from 6:00 ~ 9:00pm. Allouche Gallery is located at 82 Gansevoort Street in the historic Meatpacking District, opposite the Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC.
