The second partnership between Jonathan LeVine Gallery and Choque Cultural Gallery, located in Sao Paulo, brought to the biggest Brazilian city, the exhibition Americana this year. On January 17th, the underground scene gathered to check the works made by the artists Tara McPherson, Adam Wallacavage, Doze Green and Jim Houser.

Tara McPherson brought more than ten paintings of pale clear colors and posters that mix music inspiration, cute characters (some that got famous in toy art form) and space themes - a very good taste noticed in soft but very precise lines and delicate shapes.

"After the exposiition, they scheduled some kind of Jam Paiting ( Workshop), with artists such as jonathan levine and choque cultural (Unibes Caninde - ONg and school that takes poor children to teach arts) and after that we're going to Rio De Janeiro!" says Tara McPherson

Doze Green, the only artist that didn't show up that day, has chosen a set of his paitings with complex drawings, many textures, overlays of strong and heavy lines, but with movement.

Jim Houser made an exclusive installation for Choque Cultural, with geometrical paitings and many details. Drawings with cartoon characteres and emblemetics with phrases and typographics, and of course his famous "painted objects" with his folk look, but still underground and vanguardist.

"This exhibition is the result of one of our interchange projects between two galleries, and has started in February 2007, when I meet the work of Choque Cultural artists, and since then, it's the second time that we are in Brazil", says Jonathan LeVine who speaks a few words in Portuguese.

Choque Cultural Gallery was one of the first galleries to hold the flag of the Street Art movement, and nowadays is a reference of attitude, concept, social events, and great national and international artists such as Titi Freak, Zezao, Tara McPherson, Fefe Tavarela, Speto, Jim Houser... Maybe it explains why the whole gallery was full of people during the four hours of the event!

In the basement, the surrealistic Wallacavage's Drystone Octopus Chandeliers created some kind of obscure victorian style. But for those who enjoy his work, the exhibition was only a tease, with few, but beautiful pieces.

Interview w/ Adam Wallacavage

1|| We know that many artists in the world started with photography and the arts of zines. And with the skate culture. So how this movement happened?

For me, it has to do with punk rock and the people who helped to change skateboarding in the 70's. Dogtown Z-boys was a huge inspiration to me when I was 15. My friend had every issue of Skateboarder magazine from the 70's and I would see photos that Craig Stecyk shot and his art and was just amazed by it. I started doing zines because I wanted a reason to make t-shirts and stickers, I eventually got really into photography because of the zines and I feel the idea of "doing things yourself" really helped form everything I do from taking photos, to building crazy rooms in my house to making octopus chandeliers.

2|| Are you always using cast plaster to make your octopus chandeliers ? Could you explain a little bit about the process?

I started making the chandeliers because I wanted something to finish off my 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, inspired dining room. I learned the craft of ornamental plasterwork and have been decorating the walls and ceilings of my South Philadelphia Victorian row home. I decided on making the chandeliers out of plaster because it was a medium I knew how to work in and didn't require too much special equipment. The process is top secret! Haha! No, it's just sculpting clay tentacles and making molds and casting them in plaster then painting them in layers of pigmented epoxy resins.

3||I read that a long time ago you started with this influences before one of yours dreams that you had with the "Addams family" ? How was it?

I'm attracted to things that have endless creative inspirations with a mix of mystery and mysticism. When I first bought my house, I used old comic books drawn and written by Charles Addams as inspiration for how I wanted the house to look. Creepy yet funny. The Victorian aesthetic leaves so much room for these ideas as well, it's very dark at times but drop dead gorgeous and flowery. I love blending different worlds.

4||Particularly I am a big fan of medusa's chandeliers , I dig it !! Did you already planned other mithologic characters for your work?

The Medusa chandelier was designed by my muse, Jodi "Danger Princess" Rice. She sculpted the snakes in clay and we cast her face for the base. I did all the molding and casting for it. It is a beautiful object indeed. I have ideas for future artistic collaborations and I'm working on using different forms and subject matter in the chandeliers right now.

5|| How does a photographer decide to make chandeliers, changing this tool an art masterpiece?

I started fixing up my house so that I could use the different rooms as photographic backgrounds one thing led to another. I've always had many different projects goign on at the same time. It's more fun that way. I love being pulled around in different directions from my art.

Links
www.choquecultural.co.uk
www.jonathanlevinegallry.com

By Dani Gesser {moscomment}