Lilienthal Gallery, a place known for stretching artistic boundaries in East Tennessee, continues doing so with their current exhibition, “Street.” Debuting tonight for First Friday, the exhibition runs through December offering a new perspective on street art. While the words “street art” might spring anything to mind from tagging to the beautifully constructed murals in major cities, it rarely conjures the image of a gallery exhibition. That is changing and this exhibition introduces that idea to Knoxville.
Take a walk through Knox Walls, out behind Lilienthal Gallery, to get a taste of the significant art being produced on the street by people who started there or continue to produce their work there. The scale and precision of the art presented, as well as the vision executed by the artists holds its own in any forum. Several of the artists represented in the new mural alley are also represented inside Lilienthal Gallery at their “Street” exhibition. You’ll also find other street art luminaries.
The exhibition features four major female street artists who were among the first to be widely recognized for their work, having exhibitions in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Also featured is Pichiavo, a duo of artists from Valencia, Spain. Their work is easily recognized for its blend of street or urban imagery with classical imagery, often with a sense of humor. The two have worked together under the one name since 2007 and had their work featured most recently at the Paris Olympics.
Two works by Doze Green appear in the exhibition and the connections to his Rock Steady Crew of break dancers shines though in his work which has been featured in several museums in Europe. Rounding out the exhibition are several of the artists from Knox Walls, including local and nationally recognized artists.
The four women at the center of the exhibition include Swoon (Caledonia Curry), an artist and filmmaker based in New York. She studied at the Pratt Institute and her works focus on a human element in the midst of urban life and much it references social issues. She has works in the permanent collections at MOMA, Tate Modern Museum and other prominent museums.
Lady Pink, widely recognized as a pioneer in graffiti, starting in 1979 at age 15, has two works in this exhibition. She started by painting train cars and by the age of sixteen was invited to be in street gallery shows. In 1982 she had a starring role in “Wild Style,” known as the first hip-hop movie. Her work can be found in the Whitney Museum, the Met, the Brooklyn Museum, MOMA, and others.
Continuing the four is Aiko, a Tokyo-born artist who has made New York City her home for the last thirty years. An internationally acclaimed artist, she has painted all over the world, blending her Japanese heritage with urban New York City influences. She has large-scale works in many cities and her work has exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum and others around the world.
Queen Andrea, another NYC-based artist, rounds out the four. Born and raised in NYC, she learned street art while also obtaining a BFA in Graphic Design. Her bold colors and style has widely influenced streetwear and urban culture. She’s had commissions for murals across the world and collaborates with such diverse business groups as MTV, Converse, Target, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Come check out the new mural alley and the exhibition starting tonight.
OTHER EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
There’s a lot happening this weekend, but here are a quick three to consider, two of them related to relief efforts for the regional victims of Hurricane Helena.
- This weekend is Pridefest and it all starts with the annual Pride Parade on Gay Street. The parade starts at 7:00 pm, moving from Hill Avenue onto Gay Street and working down Gay all the way across the viaduct to Regas Square. Always a joyous event, come out and join the fun. Celebrate the freedom of everyone to be their own best self.
- Awaken Coffee – Awaken Coffee (125 W. Jackson) hosts First Friday art shows each month, but their October First Friday artist, who is from Asheville, will not be able to attend and bring her work. Local artists have quickly filled the breech and coordinating a show to raise money for disaster relief in Western North Carolina. The show runs from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on First Friday, but the works will be up and available all month. A portion (amounts vary by artist) of each sale will go to @artnorthcarolina disaster relief fund.
- Blank Newspaper and Barley’s have teamed up to offer a fantastic night of music with a focus on helping victims of Hurricane Helene. They are collecting cash and other items (see a list here) all while offering some of Knoxville’s finest music, including Conner Kelly and the Time Warp, Cruz Contreras, and Mike McGill and the Refills and who knows who else might show up? The fun starts at 6:30 PM at Barley’s and there’s no telling how late it might go. Come down and party for a cause. Give generously.