The Art Union is proud to present 'Amalgam' a duo exhibition by Berlin-based artists BLO & JAW from the French 'Da Mental Vaporz' Crew. The opening reception will take place in presence of the artists on Friday, September 16th, from 18 – 22 h at 'Sound of Snow' in Dieffenbachstraße 37, Berlin-Kreuzberg. The exhibition is on view through October 1st, 2016.
Right back from their curatorial project at Artmossphere's Public Art Biennale in Moscow, The Art Union continues their mission on the occasion of one of Berlin's major art events, the Berlin Art Week 2016. Faithful to their motto “support the exchange between artists and provide new platforms for communication on contemporary art”, the Berlin-based art association revives an artistic dialogue that started back in April this year.
BLO and JAW keep on collaborating as a duo taking new paths in cooperation with Berlin-based art association The Art Union. As firstly presented at ‘What The Weekend Is Gallery’, a group exhibition of 58 Berlin based artists during the Gallery Weekend presented by The Art Union, BLO & JAW’s latest style has turned into something best described as a fusion.
Everyone who is familiar with the work of the two French artists as members of the ‘Da Mental Vaporz’ crew will be surprised when taking a peek at their latest pieces. Their work is leaving the path of figurative depiction, diving into a sphere of chaos and dynamics. BLO and JAW keep on opening up their pictorial dialogue exploring the abstract landscapes which emerge through the amalgamation of their creational spirits. This outcome results in movement and balance between hard edges and soft floating areas leaving the spectator's mind split between serenity and anxiety.
Besides the display of BLO & JAW's new canvases, The Art Union will also release an exclusive edition of silk screen prints from the artist duo created for this exhibition.
Browse
In 2006, BLO joined the DMV crew (DA MENTAL VAPORZ). Although rooted in traditional graffiti in both material and composition, BLO’s current practice displays an acute sense of awareness in moving from an urban landscape to gallery spaces - not just a shift in medium, but one of context, audience and exposure. What for many is a difficult space to negotiate, it is within this quiet rift that BLO’s paintings breathe. BLO’s involvement with graffiti stems back to his past in Lyon, France, where initially, his work was driven by not only the raw necessity to paint, but also to vandalize or in a sense, destroy. This difference in context between the street and the studio does not divide the work, but creates a visual dependency - a mutual relationship that ultimately strengthens both parts of his practice. Although working between the street and the studio can be problematic, BLO takes advantage of this gap by deftly playing with references and medium.www.blo-paintings.comwww.instagram.com/blo_dmv/www.facebook.com/blopaintings
In 2003, Jaw joined the DMV crew (DA MENTAL VAPORZ). He soon became a forceful member of the crew. Working in this team his talent evolves, strengthens and Jaw starts to exhibit his works in galleries. He contributed to his first common exhibition in 2005 in Paris and becomes part in a huge American collection in 2010. Working individually, he participated in the realisation (cover, model, layout) of the book “France from the bottom: Graffiti in the South”, in collaboration with Mathieu Kendrick and Lionel Olives (Edition Alternatives, 2003). He also created logotypes, advertising campaigns and carries out numerous institutional and pivate commisions. Step by step, he no longer confined his work and productions to graffiti on canvas, destructuring his paintings in sequences, he creates an amazing movement on a flat surface. Today, his style and perfectly controlled technique contributed to make him one the most relevant artists from his generation.www.facebook.com/JawDaMentalVaporz/www.instagram.com/jaw_dmv/
16th of September – 1st of October
Thursdays and Fridays: 18.00 – 21.00 hSaturdays: 14.00 – 18.00 hSunday, 18th of September: 14.00 – 18.00 hAnd by appointment: hello [at] the-art-union.de
Phillipp Barthpb [at] the-art-union.de
Diana Bachdb [at] the-art-union.de
