Lazarides - Artists - Todd James / Reas

Biography

Todd James (a.k.a. REAS) is an internationally recognized artist who began his career as a child in the New York City subway system, and who remains one of graffiti's best-known elder statesmen to this day. He is a co-creator of the seminal Street Market exhibition at Deitch Projects in New York, which was selected for the Venice Biennale in 2001. James' work has also been shown at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, the Tate Museum in Liverpool, the Parco gallery in Tokyo, and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, amongst other venues. His recent subject matter � grinning aircraft carriers, lounging blondes, sneaky missiles, beleaguered tanks, and skulls wearing sailor suits � evokes a comic book sense of horror at the modern world and pity for those that live in it. Protest images marked out in cartoon outrage, filled with recycled advertising cast-offs and corrupted child scrawls, these large-scale works of gouache and graphite smash the distance between death and jokes and between the viewer and what he or she probably goes around trying not to know about the present state of things. James' death-ink warplanes and battleships have a chunky authority that embed themselves permanently in the mind of the viewer, while his stealth bombers and cheering bikini models jostle for space with partying warships, creating a feverish mix of complex mayhem. These paintings are psychologically and literally unstoppable: The situations they depict are in full swing and degenerating by the moment, and are deeply connected to the reality of our world today. Todd James lives and works in New York City.

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'Blood and Treasure' Todd James Private View

The summer that never really began went out with a bang last Thursday night at the opening of Todd James' 'Blood and Treasure'. Captivated by cartoony depictions of a brightly coloured mayhem involving battleships, war planes and bikini clad models; a lively, mixed crowd of arty types, artists, friends and fans intoxicated themselves with beer and cocktails, (a Tom Collins and a pink pomegranate one) before spilling out into the street where the show continued with an animation cleverly installed in the window and a soundtrack to match.

A big thank you to everyone that came, to Tiger and to Todd.

The show runs until the 27th of September.

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The Outsiders Private View

Fanatics, loose cannons, crazed beings, lunatics ... yes “The Outsiders” show is now open and running. They came; they saw; they drank; they danced like there was no tomorrow. The art on the other hand was amazing, an all you can eat feast for the eyes, and with most of the artists there, the chance to corner your favorite hero with drunken chat about how long you've been in love with them was all too much for some...hence the obscene levels of alcohol consumption, and shape shifting / dancing.

Thanks to all that came, Tiger for the beer and Oval for the Vodka and Mr jazz dance ... if there's a better reason for staying fully clothed in an art gallery I haven't seen one.