ASVP is a New York based artistic team of two that began working together over 8 years ago and has more than 20 years of combined creative experience. Here the duo has teamed up for their first Run with 1xRun.com with a 15 x 20 hand pulled screenprint China Cheerleader. Read on for a slew of process photos, mural flicks and the 1xRun Thru Interview with the guys from ASVP.
1xRun Thru Interview
ASVP – China Cheerleader
1xRun: What materials was China Cheerleader printed on/drawn with?
ASVP: The original artwork went through multiple drawings first in pencil, then with pen & ink and ultimately scanned and further refined on the computer.
1xRun: When was China Cheerleader drawn/created?
ASVP: The original art was created over the last 3-4 months.
1xRun: What is unique about this Run?
ASVP: This is the first edition of this image that we have created, this in itself makes it a special print. There may be other iterations of this image but this will always be the first.
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
ASVP: The piece marries eastern and western cultural iconography. It mashes-up western popular culture imagery and influence with traditional eastern imagery and influence.
1xRun: How long did the piece take?
ASVP: The original artwork took about three months to draw. the printing process was done over a day and a half.
1xRun: When did you first start making art?
ASVP: We both started at very young ages maybe 4 or 5.
1xRun: What artists were you inspired by early on?
Join us at 323East this Friday April 27th from 6-8pm as Lyric 2012 Continues with Artist Derek Hess in-store book singing of Black Line White Lie.
Black Line White Lie is the long overdue book featuring over 275 black and white images by artist Derek Hess. This book covers over 20 years of his black and white drawings from images of his earliest flyers to some of his more recent works like Cancer of the Soul and Valentine. Derek dedicates this huge 300 page book to his fans which also includes a chapter of over 70 tattoos that people have done of his works.
Internationally-known artist Derek Hess has spent the past twenty years creating fine art & rock poster art that has not only made him a household name, but has also caught the attention of both the Louvre and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame where his work is featured in both institutions permanent collections. In addition to numerous CD covers he has been featured on TLC, MTV, Fuse, VH1, Alternative Press, Spin, Juxtapoz Magazine and many others. After years of creating posters and flyers for well-known bands such as Deftones, Thursday, Every Time I Die and Taking Back Sunday, as well as his very popular fine art Hess has finally compiled a book of his much in demand Black and White drawings.
Derek will be at 323East signing his books and speaking with fans. Derek is a participating artist in LYRIC 2 curated by Glenn Barr which will be one display during his signing. A limited edition print of Derek’s Lyric piece “Ground” inspired by the Celtic Frost song will be released on 1xRUN and we will have a few on hand at the book signing this Friday from 6-8p.
For his first RUN with us pen and ink artist Derek Hess has brought us “Ground” which is pulled from the recent Glenn Barr curated exhibition Lyric 2012 at 323East Gallery. Read on to read more from Derek Hess and view his RUN (which is available with his latest book “Black Line White Lie” here at 1xRUN.
1xRUN Thru Interview
Ground by Derek Hess
1xRun: Is the original still for sale?
Derek Hess: Original is for sale at 323East Gallery for Glenn Barr’s curated Lyric 2012 exhibition. Update: This piece has sold! But please check out more musical works from Lyric 2012 here.
1xRun: When was this piece drawn/created?
Derek Hess: This piece was done….I’m guessing early February 2012
1xRun: Anything immediate you would like us to highlight right off the bat?
Derek Hess: The piece is based on the song “Ground” by Celtic Frost. I love and cherish that song, I relate to it really well. The lyrics written on the piece are from the song “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra. I love and cherish that song as well, but can’t relate to it. I thought it made for a nice juxtaposition, the intense pain of ground with the happy, upbeat lyrics of ELO, something very foreign.
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Derek Hess: I don’t know…standard pen and ink, acrylic. DNA process.
1xRun: How long did the piece take?
Derek Hess: About 2 hours.
1xRun: Why should people buy this RUN?
Derek Hess: Because it would look amazing over their mantle.
1xRun: Describe this RUN in one gut reaction word.
Derek Hess: Brilliant.
Derek Hess - Ground // Run00219 // April 30th 2012
1xRun: When did you first start making art?
Derek Hess: Two and a half is my best guess.
1xRun: What was your first piece?
Derek Hess: Oh come on…I have no idea, I was a kid.
Derek Hess: Same as the last answer…I don’t really follow art, I like tv.
1xRun: Do you listen to music while you work? If so what? If not then what is your environment like when you work?
Derek Hess: yes, I like a Raindow Live in Munich 1977 CD I just got a lot. I also like the new Overkill…Black Sabbath, ELO, Saxon, Every Time I Die, With Honor, Thin Lizzy, UFO, The Babys, Luca Turilli, Triptykon, Iron Maiden and things like that.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any living artist who would it be and why?
Derek Hess:Jake Bannon from Converge/Death Wish Records
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any deceased artists who would it be and why?
Derek Hess: Heinrick Kley – because he was the best. Ronnie James Dio, I don’t know if he was an artist, but the man sure could sing.
Dio...fucking ruling.
1xRun: What else do you have in the works?
Derek Hess: I have several book signings, confirmed and soon to be confirmed for my new book “Black Line, White Lie” which is available here on 1xRUN. Along with a few art shows, same thing, and a few more books.
1xRun: Anything special you’d like to add to this RUN?
Derek Hess: The original has DNA – my blood…I could put some blood on them all, this runs the risk of the paper warping though…but it won’t be much blood.
1xRun: Any framing suggestions?
Derek Hess: Float please with white board and standard metal frame.
1xRun: Where can people find you across the internette?
Eddie Colla attended the School of Visual Arts in New York and graduated from the California College of Arts with a BFA in photography/interdisciplinary fine arts in 1991. He began his artistic career as a photographer,working first for the New York Times and later countless magazines, record labels and ad agencies. 15 years later he has morphed into one who counters the all-pervasive nature of commercialism in public spaces. Since 2005, his wheatpastes and stencils can be found throughout public spaces in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Miami. Eddie Colla lives and works in Oakland, California.
1xRUN Thru Interview
Radio Yau Ma Tei by Eddie Colla
1xRun: When were these pieces created?
Eddie Colla: In March of 2012.
1xRun: Anything immediate you would like us to highlight?
Eddie Colla: This piece is part of an ongoing series around this character: Bike Girl. The text on the piece loosely translated says “I have a name, but it doesn’t matter” The pieces are vignettes of her life and part of a larger story. The story takes place in Hong Kong.
Eddie Colla
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Eddie Colla: I had a rough idea and layout of this image., but I didn’t really want to make a straight giclee for it. I wanted some randomness and some expression in them. The embellishing wasn’t very planned, I’d just sit down with some prints and go at it. It changed from day to day and the prints done at the beginning and at the end feel pretty different.
1xRun: How long did the piece take?
Eddie Colla: After I had the base prints, I spent about a week embellishing them.
1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
Eddie Colla: The gold images are real unique. It’s the first time I’ve tried working with gold in this way. Each print is really different from the other. There’s a lot of embellishing on these and they are all pretty unique.
1xRun: Why should people buy this piece?
Eddie Colla: Because when you bring a date back to your house, if there is a lull in the conversation, you can talk about this print. It may be the difference between getting laid and not getting laid.
1xRun: Any suggestions for framing?
Eddie Colla: Because of the edges and distressing I think float framing would probably look best. However I am also a big fan of stapling shit to the wall.
1xRun: Describe the Radio Yau Ma Tei in one gut reaction word.
Eddie Colla: Residue.
1xRun: When did you first start making art?
Eddie Colla: With my Dad, at the kitchen table when I was 4 or 5.
1xRun: What was your first piece?
Eddie Colla: The first one I remember was a really badly drawn copy of the “Jaws” movie poster. Followed by poorly drawn scenes from the movie
1xRun: What artists inspired you early on?
Eddie Colla: I grew up in New Jersey so the first museum I ever went to was The Met. My mom took me there a couple of times when I was real little. So I was exposed to some really amazing stuff early on. When I was a kid I think Warhol was my favorite. It was easy to relate to.
1xRun: Do you listen to music while you work? If so what? If not then what is your environment like when you work?
Eddie Colla: listen to music. I kinda use it to regulate My mood. So if I’m dragging my ass, I’ll listen to some old metal like Iron Maiden or Dio or AC/DC, perhaps to summon up a younger less tired version of myself. If I’m stressed, I’ll listen to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. If I’m trying to relax I might listen to Frank Sinatra. It’s kinda schizophrenic, I’ll jump from Skinnyman to Earth Wind and Wire to the Cure to Foreign Beggars to Louis Armstrong. It’s like medication, keeps me balanced.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any living artist who would it be and why?
Eddie Colla: David Choe. There’s something about the immediacy, the urgency of his work that is appealing to me. Also there’s a strong chance there’d be strippers.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any deceased artists who would it be and why?
Eddie Colla: Photographer Larry Sultan, not because I think we’d do a great collaboration, it would just be nice to see him again.
1xRun: What was the first piece of art that you bought? Do you still have it?
Eddie Colla: I remember buying a walnut shell that someone made look like a mouse using pieces of felt when I was about 4. I bought it for my grandmother for Christmas. I think my mom still has it.
1xRun: What was the last piece of art that you bought?
Eddie Colla: Hmmmmm I traded with Ian Ross for a piece.
Ian Ross
1xRun: What else do you have in the works?
Eddie Colla: A couple mural/public art projects in the Bay Area. A book design with Lyrics Born. I am curating a wall in Oakland for the next six months with various rotating artists. A show at Hold Up Art in LA with D young V and Hugh Leeman in September. That and continuing to work with apparel stuff for fiftyseven-thirtythree.com
http://www.fiftyseven-thirtythree.com/
1xRun: Where can people find you across the wide world of the internette?
“I was born in the D.C. area and moved to NYC last year after spending 4 years living in Savannah, GA. I enjoy drawing strangers in public, ransacking haunted houses and expanding my thorough knowledge on all types of honey. I try to find purpose in my art by trying to evoke as much emotion as I can within my viewers. Some of my illustration clients include Playboy, Hasbro, Penguin, Night Shade Books and Coheed & Cambria. ” – Sam Wolfe Connelly
Sam Wolfe Connelly
1xRUN Thru Interview
Batrider by Sam Wolfe Connelly
1xRun: Is the original still for sale?
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: Yes, the black and white drawing actually is going to be available here on 1xRUN.
Sam Wolfe Connelly - Bat Rider - Original Sketch - Available Here on 1xRUN
1xRun: When was this piece drawn/created?
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: February 2012
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: It was initially done for an article in Winter issue of Asset International CIO (AICIO) magazine about positive relationships between people and groups.
Run #00084 // Romance by Sam Wolfe Connelly // Sept 19, 2011 - Sept. 2011
1xRun: How long did the piece take?
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: About a week.
1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: I don’t draw children very often, but I had a blast drawing the little girl riding a huge animal that I feel like most kids would love to fly on.
1xRun: Why should people buy this piece?
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: It’s a little girl riding a giant bat, why WOULDN’T you buy this piece? Plus, if I die soon, having a print of this will be a fantastic investment!
1xRun: Describe this RUN in one gut reaction word.
Run #00218 // Apr 27, 2012 - Bat Rider by Sam Wolfe Connelly - Click to View
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: aeroBATic
1xRun: When did you first start making art?
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: In the womb. But I was more into performance art then.
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: Mostly just odd, black and white photos I find. The creepier the better.
Sam Wolfe Connelly - Fox In Socks
1xRun: Do you listen to music while you work? If so what? If not then what is your environment like when you work?
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: Yea all I listen to is music. I can never go wrong with Coheed & Cambria, The Mars Volta, The Blood Brothers, Pierce the Veil. The list goes on.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any living artist who would it be and why?
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: I dont think I could pick just one. I really want to do a giant gallery show with all my art friends here in NYC.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any deceased artists who would it be and why?
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: Probably Egon Schiele because everything he did seemed to be brilliant.
Egon Schiele
1xRun: What was the first piece of art that you bought? Do you still have it?
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: I dont think I’ve ever bought a piece of art. Which probably makes a bad case for trying to sell my own…shhh
1xRun: What else do you have in the works?
Sam Wolfe-Connelly: I’ve got some book covers in the works, a bunch of group gallery shows I’ll be in this year, and some jewelry I’ll be selling.
Illustration for Wired Magazine by Sam Wolfe Connelly
1xRun: Where o where can people find you across the wild world of the internette?
As the chill of winter has given way to the warm hues of spring here in Detroit, we’re excited to unveil our most recent public arts project that will bring over a dozen of the world’s premier graffiti artists to the city of Detroit for a series of murals in the neighborhoods that need them the most.
We are presenting this never before seen image of a piece REVOK created in a now demolished church back in 2009 during his first visit to Detroit. In what is commonplace in the world of graffiti & street art, an artist will go to great lengths creating a piece of work in certain location, only to have the works lifespan cut short by city clean up crews, over zealous and mentally disturbed vigilantes or rival artists… Or in this case a demolition wrecking ball. The work often lives on only in the documentation of a few, or in this case one image.
Run #00213// Sacrilege by REVOK// Apr 17, 2012
To coincide with the first phase of the project we’re excited to release a series of prints with several of the participating artists including RISK, SEVER, STEEL, REYES, DMOTE, WANE, CES, REVOK, Tristan Eaton, Dabs Myla, 123 Klan and POSE.
For the first RUN of the Detroit Beautification Project we’re excited to present our very first print by REVOK “Sacrilege.” REVOK’s vision for the Detroit Beautification Project is to uplift communities and brighten the day of the residents of the great City of Detroit.
Revok In Los Angeles
Born in Riverside, Ca. in 1977 Los Angeles based REVOK discovered art through his fathers collection of 60’s & 70’s album covers, comic books, and skateboarding. In 1990 REVOK began sneaking out of the 2nd story window of his parents home to write graffiti around his neighborhood… 21 years later not much has changed despite numerous arrests, jail time and fines in the U.S. and overseas.
REVOK enjoys traveling and painting graffiti, he is currently the target of a political war against Graffiti and street art led by Los Angeles city attorney Carmen Trutanich and the L.A. Sheriffs department. REVOK’s work explores the struggle between opposing perspectives that is perpetual action around us in our shared common spaces.
In 2011 REVOK was featured in MOCA LA’s in the “Art in the streets” Exhibition. The Pasadena Musuem of Contemporary art’s “Street Cred”, “PERSEVERANCE” at KNOWN gallery and “TRIUMPH & TRAGEDY” in Hamburg’s Vicious gallery.
“On April 21st, 2012 323 East will be hosting “Lyric 2012“, a group show curated by Glenn Barr. For this exhibition Barr had one simple request for each artist: Each piece of art must be 12 x 12 inches, paying homage to the timeless beauty that can fit on the cover of a vinyl record. Each artist has been given free reign to draw inspiration from their favorite artist, album, song or lyric and put their personal interpretation to canvas.
For this show I found inspiration from one of my favorite bands, Nine Inch Nails. Specifically their song “Head Like A Hole”. To be completely honest I never really understood what Trent Reznor meant by “Head Like A Hole”. Was he suggesting that the person/subject had a mind like a hole? Exactly what was the nature of this hole? If this hole was metaphorical, why didn’t he write it as “Mind Like A Hole”? Is there a possibility that this hole was actually a real hole in the head? Maybe he’s playing off the idiom ‘I need ____ like I need a hole in my head’. Anyways, after giving it some thought, the above painting became my solution to these questions. ” – Luke Chueh
We’re extremely excited to present our first RUN from the upcoming 323East Exhibition Lyric “Head Like A Hole” from artist Luke Chueh. Back for his second RUN, Luke has brought us a work inspired by the Nine Inch Nails song of the same name. Read on for the 1xRUN Thru with Luke Chueh and see the video for Head Like a Hole and more…
1xRUN Thru Interview Head Like A Hole by Luke Chueh
1xRun: Let’s talk a bit about “Head Like a Hole” is the original still for sale?
Luke Chueh: The original is for sale at 323 East Gallery, where it was created for the Lyric 20212 show curated by Glenn Barr.
1xRun: When was the piece drawn/created?
Luke Chueh: It was created March 2012
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Luke Chueh: It was inspired by the lyrics for the song “Head Like A Hole” by Nine Inch Nails
Luke Chueh: It took a couple weeks (since I was also working on several other projects at the same time.)
1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
Luke Chueh: What makes the piece unique is that it is directly inspired by a specific musical lyric, and I’ve never created a painting with this kind or source as the foundation of the idea.
1xRun: Why should people buy “Head Like A Hole”?
Luke Chueh: Because they’re either Luke Chueh fans, Nine Inch Nails fans, or both.
1xRun: Describe the piece/print in one gut reaction word.
Run #00217 // Apr 20, 2012 - Apr 26, 2000 // Head Like A Hole by Luke Chueh
Luke Chueh: Hole.
1xRun: When did you first start making art?
Luke Chueh: I started drawing for fun when I was 4. I started creating this style of work when I was 30.
1xRun: What was your first piece?
Luke Chueh: The first thing I ever really drew was Mickey Mouse (as taught to me by my mother.)
1xRun: What artists inspired you early on?
Luke Chueh: I was inspired by lots of comic art, animation (Walt Disney, Hannah Barbera, Anime), and science fiction movies and televisions shows (Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica), and toys (Transformers, GI Joe)
1xRun: What artists inspire you now?
Luke Chueh: I’m pretty much inspired by the work of all my colleagues and contemporaries. They all have something I can learn from.
1xRun: Do you listen to music while you work? If so what? If not then what is your environment like when you work?
Luke Chueh: I’ve been listening to lots of Labrador Records bands (The Radio Dept., Club 8, The Acid House Kings, The Legends). I also listen to lots of indie rock like The Flaming Lips, Mogwai, Beck, Cornelius, Explosions in the Sky, Pulp, and of course, Nine Inch Nails.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any living artist who would it be and why?
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any deceased artists who would it be and why?
Luke Chueh: To be honest, I can’t think of one… maybe Salvador Dali.
1xRun: What was the first piece of art that you bought? Do you still have it?
Luke Chueh: It was a painting by Thomas Han. I still have it.
Thomas Han
1xRun: What was the last piece of art that you bought?
Gary Baseman
Luke Chueh: The last piece of art I bought was by Gary Baseman.
1xRun: What else do you have in the works?
Luke Chueh: I have a show in September at Rotofugi, a book release “Bearing the Unbearable” (below) a toy release with Munky King “Target”, and a show in Tokyo in December with Touma.
1xRun: Where can people find you across the internette?
Serge Gay Jr. is a illustrator / fine artist / graphic designer currently based out of San Francisco, California. Born in Port-au Price, Haiti and developed during his years in the U.S. His art infuses inspiration born from living in cities from coast to coast. Influence in his work can be found from the culture of his homeland, New York, Miami and Detroit. Currently the story continues to evolve from the west coast of the United States. The College for Creative Studies in Detroit would then help him to further refine his skills and build the foundation for his art career as an full time Artist.
1xRUN Thru Interview
Love Drug by Serge Gay Jr.
1xRun: Is the original still for sale?
Serge Gay Jr: It was just sold to a buyer from 1xRUN. You can see more original works at my store.
1xRun: When was Love Drug drawn/created?
Serge Gay Jr: Late March of 2012.
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Serge Gay Jr: The idea came from the song “All I Could Do Was Cry” by Etta James and put my own twist to it. A woman who love a guy but later in their relationship the guy wanted to end the relationship because so was to much of a bad girl and wanted a good girl to bring home to mom. So she’s left heartbroken and wanted to be the one walking down the aisle with him and thought he love her for who she was.
1xRun: How long did the piece take to complete?
Serge Gay Jr: About four days.
1xRun: Why should people buy Love Drugs?
Serge Gay Jr: It’s a classic, retro love story with a model twist.
1xRun: Describe Love Drugs in one gut reaction word.
Run #00212 // Apr 23, 2012 - Love Drug by Serge Gay Jr.
Serge Gay Jr: Affection.
1xRun: When did you first start making art?
Serge Gay Jr: 1st grade.
1xRun: What was your first piece?
Serge Gay Jr: Drawing naked people in South Beach.
1xRun: What artists inspired you early on?
Serge Gay Jr: My father
1xRun: What artists inspire you now?
Serge Gay Jr: My friends.
1xRun: Do you listen to music while you work? If so what? If not then what is your environment like when you work?
Serge Gay Jr: All the time, lots of mix music but for this one old classic Motown, Etta James.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any living artist who would it be and why?
Serge Gay Jr: There’s some friends from Haight that I would love to collaborate with. If not them some big time singer or rapper not a visual artist. My father would be another person.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any deceased artists who would it be and why?
Serge Gay Jr: I have no idea…I don’t even like much collaboration with strangers. So maybe my Grandfather, who was an artist, would love to see how he worked.
1xRun: What else do you have on the horizon?
Serge Gay Jr: More shows, that’s what I want to focus on at the moment.
1xRun: Where can people find you across the internette?
Here for her 3rd RUN, Melissa Forman, again brings us a breathless beauty with She Who Blessed With Second Sight. Read on to check out our exclusive interview with Melissa where she discusses past influences and more.
Melissa Forman
1xRUN Thru Interview
She Who Blessed With Second Sight by Melissa Forman
1xRun: Anything immediate you would like us to highlight for “She Who Blessed With Second Sight” ?
Melissa Forman: This painting is about my experience with health problems. The overall outcome and feeling of the painting is a ethereal, moody and deals with my own uncertainty throughout my struggle. It’s an attempt to deal with my own feelings, worries and loneliness that go along with chronic illness.
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Melissa Forman: I wanted to tell a story about my life and the experiences I’ve had. I used symbols in the painting the represent certain moments, experiences and emotions. I wanted to take experiences I’ve had and turn them into something that could visually tell my story. Painting is like therapy for me.
1xRun: How long did the piece take?
Melissa Forman: This piece took about a month and a half to create.
1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
Melissa Forman: This piece is unique to me because it weaves important parts of my life and experiences together to create something unique and beautiful; something that can speak for itself and tell its own story.
1xRun: Why should people buy “She Who Blessed With Second Sight” ?
Melissa Forman: This piece has a lot of meaning and symbolism in it. I created it with the intention of taking moments in my life and important memories and turning them into something beautiful. I hope others can see the beauty in it as well.
1xRun: Describe this RUN in one gut reaction word for us.
Run #00204 // Apr 16, 2012 - Apr 22, 2012 - She Who Blessed With Second Sight by Melissa Forman
Melissa Forman: Pensive.
1xRun: When did you first start making art?
Melissa Forman: I remember my preschool teacher telling my mom that she thought I had artistic talent. So, I can say, I think I’ve been making art since it was physically possible. I remember decorating a ceramic plate with a portrait of my family in preschool. But I didn’t sell my first piece until I was 14.
1xRun: What was your first piece?
Melissa Forman: I did a portrait of my history teacher’s children.
Melissa Forman: I really like Eugenio Recuenco’s work. He’s an amazing photographer. I love Mark Ryden, Martin Wittfooth, and Kris Lewis. I love classic painters like Ingres and Vermeer. I love William-Adolphe Bouguereau.
1xRun: Do you listen to music while you work? If so what? If not then what is your environment like when you work?
Melissa In Her Studio Space
Melissa Forman: I usually listen to audiobooks or watch tv/movies.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any living artist who would it be and why?
Melissa Forman: I would actually love to collaborate with someone who paints completely differently from me in the hopes that it would challenge me in a new way. Maybe an abstract expressionist painter.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any deceased artists who would it be and why?
Melissa Forman: Leonardo da Vinci, might as well go for the best, huh?
1xRun: What was the first piece of art that you bought? Do you still have it?
Melissa Forman: I think the first piece I bought was from my friend Paul. Well, it was kind of on loan. So I don’t have it anymore. He took it back for another exhibition.
1xRun: What was the last piece of art that you bought?
Melissa Forman: The last piece of art I bought was from my friend Erik. He had a small gallery show in Cleveland.
1xRun: What else do you have in the works?
Melissa Forman: I have a show coming up at The Corey Helford Gallery in October or November of 2013.
1xRun: Where can people find you across the internette?
Bleecker Street has long been an infamous drag in one of America’s most infamous cities. In the heart of Greenwich Village, Bleecker is a spine that connects several neighborhoods in New York City and has long been a breeding ground for unique musicians and comedians. It was also once a major center for American bohemia and punk. Other nearby sites include Washington Square Park and the music venue Cafe Wha?, where Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Kool & the Gang, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, and many others began their careers. The club CBGB, which closed in 2006, was located at the east end of Bleecker Street, at the corner of Bowery.
As a native New Yorker, it is only fitting that Ellis Gallagher, a former graffiti writer, immortalize the infamous New York City strip with his Bleecker Street Mailbox. Completed in 2009, this RUN was just recently finished as two-color screen print which is available exclusively here on 1xRUN in both Silver and Gold. Read on for the 1xRUN Thru with Ellis G.
1xRUN Thru Interview
Bleecker Street Mailbox by Ellis G
1xRun: When was the piece drawn/created?
Ellis G: 2009
1xRun: Anything immediate you would like us to highlight?
Ellis G: This was taken during the summer of 2009 in New York City.
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Ellis G: Aimless wandering.
1xRun: How long did the piece take?
Ellis G: Seconds.
1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
Ellis G: I am the only one who drew it and photographed it.
1xRun: Why should people buy this piece/print?
Ellis G: It’s dope.
1xRun: Describe Bleecker Street Mailbox in one gut reaction word.
Ellis G: fresh.
1xRun: When did you first start making art?
Ellis G: As a young toy punk kid in Manhattan, taggin the streets.
1xRun: What artists inspired you early on?
Ellis G: oe and p13 tmd, rd 357, chissy, chris 217, PRAY, COST KRT.
1xRun: Do you listen to music while you work? If so what? If not then what is your environment like when you work?
Ellis G: I listen to street sounds.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any living artist who would it be and why?
Ellis G: damien hirst. james turrell. then my work would be expensive.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any deceased artists who would it be and why?
Ellis G: keith haring. we both work in chalk as well as other mediums.
1xRun: What was the last piece of art that you bought?
Ellis G: I trade a lot.
1xRun: What else do you have in the works ?
Ellis G: Some new sculptures, mini dioramas of street scenes with light and shadows outlined.
1xRun: Where can people find you across the internette?
Back at it again, the incomparably Canadian D3N!@L brings us his latest, Rise. Each of the 12 x 24 x 2 cradled wooden boxes were hand painted and stenciled onto found wood with a mix of spray paint, geso, cardstock and urethane. Read on for the 1xRUN Thru with D3N!@L as he gives us the inspiration behind Rise, past influences and more after the jump.
1xRUN Thru Interview
Rise by D3N!@L
1xRun: Is the original for Rise still for sale?
D3N!@L: The original has a black background with silver baroque in it and stands 6ft x 3ft and is for sale currently in a gallery in Toronto, ON. Contact me for details.
1xRun: When was this piece drawn/created?
D3N!@L: The original was drawn a few years ago.
1xRun: Anything immediate you would like us to highlight?
D3N!@L: These pieces are also made from scrap recycled/found wood. I wanted to add an organic-ness to the piece by painting on wood and recycled cardstock and not buy any “new” wood to make them. I think it worked out well.
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
D3N!@L: I like to play with juxtaposition and contrast. I love the look of a beautiful refined rose over top a mess of a background with scratches and splatters. The contrast kind of forces the rose out of the painting, almost hovering.
1xRun: How long did the piece take?
D3N!@L: This series of 33 took 1 week to make.
1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
D3N!@L: Each piece is unique in this series! I used 33 different colors of paint to do the unique backgrounds.
1xRun: Why should people buy this piece/print?
D3N!@L: It’s a sexy bitch, that’s why. Haha.
1xRun: Describe the piece/print in one gut reaction word.
D3N!@L: Regal.
1xRun: When did you first start making art?
D3N!@L: 6 years old.
1xRun: What was your first piece?
D3N!@L: I used to love drawing guns and battle scenes. I also loved tracing old skateboard logos and making up fake skateboard brands and logo. My grandfather was an artist and inspired me to draw and paint young.
