For immediate release
Media Enquiry:
Janice Cooper
Tel: 28101208
Email: hkg@operagallery.com
POP STREET
11-28 March 2011
Hong Kong, March 11, 2011 - Opera Gallery will present a dual exhibition by the
ground breaking and most controversial pop artist out of the US in recent
years - MR. BRAINWASH alongside the godfather of graffiti and street art SEEN in the staggering exhibition titled: “POP STREET”.
From the underground culture of street art and graffiti of the 20th century to
the popular culture of the 21st century, this exhibition unveils paintings and
silkscreen of world icons, portraits of music legends made out of broken vinyl
records and street graffiti images placed in frames to be hang as fine art
works…
About Mr. Brainwash…
No doubt the most controversial and challenging artist to come out in recent
years, MBW compelling works inspired by the artistic concepts of street artists
and iconic figures such as the king of pop Andy Warhol and the street
sensation Banksy keep attracting thousands of viewers to his incredible shows.
Born in France in 1966, artist Mr. Brainwash (Theirry Guetta) moved to LA and
started filming the underground graffiti culture for his ultimate street art
documentary. Inspired by the subject and with the support of his fellow street
artists such as renowned British enigma Banksy, Mr. Brainwash soon started
hitting the streets with spray cans and stencils.
His debut exhibition Life is Beautiful in 2008 in Los Angeles created a heat
wave that shook the city. By 2009, Mr. Brainwash has gained much
recognition that Madonna has approached him to design her latest album
cover of greatest hits “Celebration”. The year after in February 2010, Mr.
Brainwash made his solo debut in the heart of the meatpacking district of
New York taking over a 15,000 square-foot warehouse. In the same year, a
documentary of street art directed by Banksy “Exit through the gift shop” was
released. The film and his works have caused speculation, critics and press
around the creation of MBW strengthening the discussion is his art for real.
In 2011, with much anticipation, Opera Gallery Hong Kong is proud to present
his first exhibition in the city titled “POP STREET”.
Never just an art show, MBW’s exhibition continues to inspire and challenge.
The connotation of “What is art?” in the 60’s is reappearing after four
decades in the new Millennium. Art again is being redefined.
About Seen…
Referred to as the ‘’Godfather of Graffiti ‘’, SEEN carries the title of being the
world’s most famous graffiti artist. He is recognized as a leader of the school
of Graffiti Art and has become an icon of what was once considered an
underground trend but now has become an international respected art
movement.
Richard Mirando, known as SEEN, was born 1961 in The Bronx, New York and
first started to paint on New York’s subway in 1973. For the next 16 years his
pieces were running across the city. Many of the great subway painters from
that time have fallen into oblivion, nevertheless several have been quite
successful with their creativity, among them SEEN may have been the
greatest and most versatile artist from this generation. SEEN quickly gained
the reputation for producing full color whole cars, he was responsible for
hundreds of whole car top to bottoms drawings, many of which have
become iconic images of the time.
SEEN’s impact goes beyond what he has done on trains when he did the
landmark art show P.S.1 ‘’New York, New Wave – 1981’’, which also featured
Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Basquiat among others. Today, his work can
be found in private collections and museums around the world.
Notes to the editor:
For High-resolution images of the opening of ‘POP STREET’ and the works on display
please mail to hkg@operagallery.com attn. Janice.
About Opera Gallery:
The prestigious gallery located in central is a proud representative of modern and
contemporary international art works for many years and displays its popular
collections in all of Opera Gallery 12 locations around the world. The gallery is a
strong supporter of ‘open to the public’ displays and works aggressively in promoting
the concept of bringing ‘Art for the People’. Opera Gallery will exhibit Mr. Brainwash
and SEEN various pieces in its 5,000 square feet of space in Central.
www.operagallery.com