The Lava Collective
After an arduous day at the office and wearing a heavy head from last night’s extra glass of red at a certain cabaret night I am on my way to the next destination; the Old Truman Brewery for an opening of a group show called ‘Cityscape’ curated by Delphine Ettiger. I’m told the exhibition is showcasing works of numerous artists mainly from North America, focusing on street art and urban culture.
It’s a cold November evening and I’ve lost my way twice walking along the streets I would whizz through on a better day. This really is becoming a chore! What I want is to not hang out with the trend-ites arty types of East London. What I hope for is a transformation of mood. I reach my destination and am instantly enveloped by a dubstep track the DJ is playing. I arrive too early for a fashionable entrance yet the place is buzzing and the atmosphere is nice. The wall covered in works of Peru Ana Ana Peru catches my attention as they are striking. This visit is going to be worthwhile after all. I grab a free bottle of beer and work my way round the room starting from Peru Ana Ana Peru.
The walls are high and adorned with amazing pieces of art, from prints to paint on canvas to amazing photographs. It will take me forever to write a synopsis of all the artists featured so I’m going to talk about the ones that really caught my attention. The duo Peru Ana Ana Peru from Brooklyn who exhibited a montage of their works created especially for the space was the highlight for me. Their sculpture (of a bleeding television) was aesthetically strong and spoke volumes as a statement piece. It was great to see a Taki 183 (a legend in the Graffiti world) tag hanging on the wall but in a frame it seemed out of place. I didn’t expect to see familiar names but works of Blek Le Rat and Shepard Fairey (‘Obey’) also made an appearance. The photographs by ASHES57, of hip-hop gigs really capture the moment and photographs of the legendary Ricky Powell is just that, legendary. He was present with his camera when the Beastie Boys started out and his journey of the hip hop world when it was so fresh and so clean takes you back to the old school.
This exhibition not only celebrates urban art but also shows how it has evolved to take a place in the mainstream without losing the essence of rebellion. It has grown only to be better and more interesting. ‘Cityscape’ is only here for a short time so catch it while you can.
Cityscape @ Dray Walk Gallery
Old Truman Brewery, off 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL
Find out more about The Lava Collective here.
Posted by Silvi Subba
