Graffiti Art Heavyweights in the City this Weekend

September 12, 4:01 PMSF Art ExaminerMarisa Nakasone

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Barry McGee installation view, courtesy of Ratio 3 Gallery

Luke, gallery manager @ Giant Robot, has tipped me off on some very exciting exhibits featuring significant artists from the graffiti/urban art movement that have recently opened or will be opening this weekend.

I.  Barry McGee @ Ratio 3 Gallery (opened September 5th):  It looks like Barry McGee, notorious for exhibiting under various pseudonyms, has fooled us again by exhibiting under the name Lydia Fong for an exhibition entitled A Moment For Reflection: New Work by Lydia Fong. McGee is a San Francisco native who was an integral member of the Mission School and remains a highly influential figure in the Urban art movement--many will claim that his style and technique set the trend for graphic arts and illustration in the subsequent years.  Though McGee is a figurehead in the more or less "underground" art movement, he certainly holds his own in the greater art world as he was a participant in the coveted Venice Biennale (2001). 
The Ratio 3 Gallery is located on 1447 Stevenson St. and will be open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 AM-6 PM and by appointment.

Shepard Fairey, Cost of Oil

II.  Shepard Fairey @ WhiteWalls Gallery, The Duality of Humanity (OPENING SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 7-10 PM): Shepard Fairey, widely recognized as the mastermind behind the OBEY label, is easily one of the most visible urban artists today.  Though he is commonly associated with OBEY (and more recently for his Barack Obama posters), his work is everywhere:  on the streets, album covers, posters, and in gallery spaces internationally. An icon in the graffiti art movement, his style and color palette have likewise become iconic as legions of subsequent artists and graphic designers have imitated his style.  Fairey's bold graphic style, reminiscent of Russian propaganda and Rodchenko, combined with his social and political consciousness makes his work both visually and intellectually stimulating.
The White Walls Gallery is located on 835 Larkin St. Open Tues-Sat, 12-7.

Andrew Jeffrey Wright, image courtesty of Space 1026

III. Andrew Jeffrey Wright @ The Luggage Store (...P.S. they don't sell luggage) Opening TONIGHT! Friday, September 12, 6-8 PM:  Andrew Jeffrey Wright is the quintessential "urban artist" if there ever was one: Wright is one of the founders (or "co-conspirator," as they call it) of Space 1026 in Philadelphia, a gallery/ affordable studio space for artists to work, collaborate and exhibit--a place that not only throws legendary parties but also provides a stepping stone (and work space) for the careers of many young, up and coming artists creating in the urban art area. As if to further drive home our unworthiness, Wright is not only tight with Shepard Fairey--his pastimes and previous gigs include DJ-ing, back-up dancer for MC Paul Barman, and various work in music videos.  Wright's show at The Luggage store, Art for Corporations, features work in various mediums (mixed-media, paintings, drawings, photography, film/animation) satirically critiques the role and influence of corporations and popular culture upon society. The Luggage Store is located on 1007 Market St. near 6th.  Open Wed-Saturday, noon-5 PM and by appt.