A DAY IN THE LIFE WITH D*FACE: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SCARS AND STRIPES

BY HUDSON ZUMA

FOR GRAFF-IC DESIGN


What is it about D*face?
It is art, it is depth, it is the epitome of transferring meaning and context to creativity on canvas, on walls, into sculpture into the very essence that is, Street Art.

Scars and Stripes hit the street flying as more than 700 people lined the streets to enter the Exhibition presented to us Angelinos by PMM Art Projects brainchild of Pat Magnarella, and Roger Klein.

I stepped to the gallery for a preview walkthrough and intimate chat with D*Face, all I could see were the D*face signature wings on top of a smoking police car. Immediately in. Beyond amazing. The thought came to my mind as to what the concept might be? I thought hmm..?  Smashing crime or smashing what we know or is said to be authority and the corruption it has turned into today… Art is subjective right?  Instantly mid thought and contemplation, I was approached by a young latino man asking “What is this? answering his own question he states, "Well,I don’t know what it is, but like it!”  He proceeded to also tell me that the piece caught his attention before he actually even saw the wall behind it, though much grander in stare, just behind was a Mural one of two called YOU’RE DEAD TO ME”  that proceeded our entry to the Gallery.

Just outside was D*face,  “D, here’s your 2:30”. That’s me “the 2:30”.
I was instantly transformed into a child as I entered the gallery.  Being a great Warhol fan and a big fan of  the comic strip genre,pop art, but also a big fan of concept and meaning in art, and Cult Art, I was won.

We began to talk about the pieces and the art..

Union Jack, he stated, was the most challenging piece, the discovery of new styles and layers and the representation of his country, brought on a new page, opening a new page of work. “One work progresses and leads to the next piece of work or style and technique and if you look closely in my new book you will see it if you look closely.”
The colors and the texture for me were vibrant and rich and I liked seeing the paint strokes within the painting.

As we progressed around the show, we went from the more comic statement genre pieces, to the newer forms of work.

"Dead by Thirty”, the works and the homage to the Icons who have died very young and in their time became genius and the uniqueness they acquired, and how this also allows the public to keep them on a pedestal and manipulate their image and contribution over and over again.

The pieces showed a new form and new sense of risk taking from the earlier pieces we visited..With dripping borders and intense features.. almost life like in their presence. Artists who passed away  in their twenties like Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Morrison,Hendrix,James Dean, Tupac Shakur,Biggie and more..
I would say some of my favorite works of the show.


 We then moved on to the wood pieces of "Dead by Thirty" done on school desks. This I thought was quite the brilliant move. The contrast between the young kids, the days of youth being represented by school days and the markings on the desks.. I found it very cool to see the “Libertines” being represented among other amazing writings, dates 1983, and other pencil meanderings all
coinciding with the “die young” theme paintings.

The juxtaposition of the life of the young british student the normalcy of the everyday school routine and innocence, mixed with the life of the icon, innocent in context yes,however branded by the public, by fame, by the demands of their genius.
We discussed the celebrity and how effected these unique geniuses become at the onslaught of fame and the pressures that brings on them, sometimes sending them off the edge.
The fascination with celebrity from the public and how utterly senseless it can all be.

We continued to talk Skateboarding viewing the amazing adaptation of the Classic trucks and skateboard-art created by D*Face and how it represents so much of his youth and his beginnings.
Being a skate girl from the OC, growing up with the infamous “Dogtown” as my heroes, skating empty pools in huntington beach,we were able to compare stories about our skating and coming from the various polar opposites. The hemet pieces and the influenced strongly and paying homage to the Pat Tillman story project created an intense backdrop for the wrap of our conversation.

 http://www.documentary.org/magazine/legend-pat-tillman-deconstructing-military-myth
 Not only a brilliant artist but an intriguing man of conviction and style.. That’s a wrap.
An amazing show Scars and Stripes, up now and ongoing until oct 12th
be sure a catch it.



 


http://www.stolenspace.com/product.php?xProd=2553&xSec=93
There will be a review of the new D*Face book happening on Reviews by Hudson HTTP://WWW.REVIEWSBYHUDSON.BLOGSPOT.COM 
stay tuned.




SCARS AND STRIPES
SEPT 27TH-OCT 12TH
PMM ART PROJECT PRESENTS
315 ROBERTSON BLVD.
WEST HOLLYWOOD,CA




[Photos: D*Face, courtesy of PMM Art Projects,Peligro films]