San Francisco based artist APEX kicks off Warp & Weft, an exhibition celebrating the artist's love of denim as an artistic medium. The show's opening reception is Saturday, March 8th from 8-11pm at SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS in Los Angeles, and will feature live music from Alex McClave and Benjamin Lee Ritchie Handler.
After experimenting with a variety of denim types, weight, and colors, Apex developed a method for stretching denim over wood panel in place of ordinary canvas. Through trial and error, and with the help of friends specializing in the denim industry, he found ways to make his colorful, multi-layered patterns stick to the surface. His choice in material makes a direct reference to the self-painted denim jackets many inner city tag artists wore in the 1980s as a way to represent their crew. The contrast between the vibrant, geometric graphics of Apex’s signature painting style against the texture and weight of the Indigo dyed denim results in a unique and fashionable marriage between fine art, street art, and the history of graffiti writing and tagging. Warp & Weft will be Apex’s first solo show in Los Angeles.
About the Artist: APEX (b. 1978) is a street artist who creates colorful abstract patterns through the use of spray paint. Part of the Gestalt Collective that engages in collaborative murals in San Francisco, Apex has curated mural projects on Bluxome Alley, in various districts of San Francisco, and as part of the SFMOMA display windows in association with St. Johns Community Center. Group exhibitions include Bay Area Now 4, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco (2005); Calligraffiti: Writing In Contemporary Chinese and Latino Art, Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena (2009); White Walls (2011 & 2014); and POW WOW! Street Art Festival, Honolulu (2014).
About the Gallery: SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS is a multifunctional gallery space promoting diverse forms of art while providing a forum for contemporary dialogue. It was established by Shepard Fairey and Blaze Blouin in 1995 and played an integral part in introducing skateboarding culture and design to the art world. Now located in the historic Los Angeles neighborhood of Echo Park, SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS continues to offer a platform for artistic exploration and innovation.
1331 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
T. (213) 213-0078
info@subliminalprojects.com
Gallery hours: Weds-Sat / 12pm-6 pm.
PLEASE SHARE & REPOST! I am reaching out to you today with a heavy heart to share the news that our dear friend and beloved artist, Brian Ewing, has been diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. Brian has been hospitalized since early March and is fighting for his life. He has brought so much joy and inspiration through his art, and now he needs our support.