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Neckface, “Into darkness”, Crowd oustide on Halloween night at OHWOW Gallery, 2010. Via Michael C. Hsiung

With “Into Darkness,” Neck Face imparts many layers of his wonderful psyche upon the OHWOW audience, including takes on violence, music, optimism and addiction. His acerbic, Pettibon-esque drawings remain engaging, as always, and are the highlight of the show. An intelligent coupling of this series with a selection of collage and large, text-based paintings with his imagery provided a balanced presentation of his work at the Los Angeles venue’s installation. OHWOW’s sophisticated and discerning curatorial decisions transcend the chaos-over-saturation possible in the undertaking of this Halloween debut.

More text and links after the jump…

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Untitled (detail), Neckface via O.H.W.O.W.

Opening this Halloween at O.H.W.O.W. gallery in Miami is what some may call a 10,000 square feet haunted house, and others may refer to as a large-scale site-specific installation leading to the exhibit by Neckface.  “Devil’s Disciple”, the artist’s first solo show in Miami, already has, and will undoubtedly continue to contribute to the ongoing dialectic that revolves around Neckface. As the masked idol of thousands repeatedly breaks the boundaries of acceptable, he simultaneously manages to maintain and excite the curiosity of art historians and climb the rigid hierarchy he so opposes. Perhaps, it is the innocence in the immediacy of expression that makes charming what otherwise is conceived as revolting; perhaps art world misses the documented urge of expression.
When asked about his inspiration and creative process Neckface answers: “Somtimes its just fucked up situations that i think of in my head, sometimes its what i would really like to do to someone, whether it would be an ex-girlfriend or somebody who pissed me off earlier in the day …” It is the brutal, almost primal and ironically- the unmasked, that pulls the viewer in Neckface’s world.  Sartre writes “I am the one who pulls myself from the nothingness to which I aspire: the hatred, the disgust of existing, these are as many ways to make myself exist, to thrust myself into existence”. Neckface’s step into the realm coined as “aesthetic of disgust” is endearing and effective for it is uncalculated and raw. “Devil’s Disciple” will be opening at O.H.W.O.W. on October 31, 2009. “Halloween is my day. Some people like Christmas, I like Halloween” explains the artist.

Neckface creates a dummy in the window of O.H.W.O.W. via NBC Miami

More text, pictures, video and excerpts from Neckface’s answers to AO after the jump…

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Skaters on the mini ramp at the opening reception of Cannibal Carnival via SuperTouch

Neckface opened his show “Cannibal Carnival” (previous coverage of this show on AO here) with an eventful ceremony. The wall space New Image Art was covered in spray paint graffiti, otherwise painted in black and white and red. Though relatively new the art scene, Neckface maintains very strong press and web coverage and extremely high attendance for his events. His reputation as very prolific tagger in many cities cements his position within street art, which is growing in acceptance as an artistic medium worthy of investment as exemplified by the street artist Banksy selling works in the six figures, auction houses setting aside entire auctions for street art and the Tate Modern mounting very significant street art exhibitions. On the opening night of Saturday August 16th, the venue accommodated over 1,000 mixed crowd of art lovers, skaters, and alike. During the reception, pro skaters rode boards on the mini ramp/cage specially built for this occasion.

Hollywood: Nasty Neck Face’s “Cannibal Carnival” bloodbath at New Image Art [Super Touch]
Neck Face’s Opening Reception [GrindTV]
Neckface “Cannibal Carnival” Art Show Slideshow [Transworld Skateboarding]
The skate ramp at the Neckface show at New Image Gallery in L.A. [C-Monster]
Video Clip of the opening here, and here [Youtube]

more pictures after the jump…

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Neck Face “Cannibal Carnival” image via GQ

American graffiti artist Neckface is showing his third solo exhibition ‘Cannibal Carnival’ in LA at New Image art gallery from tomorrow, August 16th until September 20th. The show will exhibit the artist’s signature horrifyingly morbid images among likely other assorted installations. Neckface, an underground, anonymous artist, is often associated with taggers and skateboarding but has recently broken into commercial success at auction. Due what can be called a cult following, the show should be well attended and if nothing else interesting. From the press release:

“friends of the artist and professional skaters Sammy Baca and Lizard King will be skating in a caged off mini-ramp filled with objects they encounter every day: knives, spray paint, and booze of course. “They are both satanic,” Neckface says. “Sammy once carved Satan into Lizard King’s chest with a knife.” ”

Neck Face eats his own [GQ]
Neck Face in LA: Cannibal Carnival [The Worlds Best Ever]
Sneek Peek: Nasty Neck Face at New Image Art [Super Touch]
Neck Face “Cannibal Carnival [Hypebeast]
A Neck Face Halloween [Art Observed]
Neck Face opening at Dactyl Foundation Wednesday 10.31 [Art Observed]
Newimage Art Gallery

more pictures after the jump…

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