iRECOMMEND: Doze Green:N.O.O.N at Jonathan Levine Gallery

SATURDAY:: I am usually more exited about checking out a concert than a museum or a gallery, but when it's art that speaks the truth, my heart lights up and I am soaking in the inspiration and energy that's generated by the work. (The work that we create as artists has a life and a vibration field on its own.) This one right here is one of those kinds. One of my favorite living painters, DOZE GREEN's second solo show N.O.O.N is opening this Saturday, October 18th, 2008 at the Jonathan Levine gallery

Oct 18 thru Nov 15, 2008
Opening reception - Saturday, October 18th 7pm-9pm

Doze's mystico-apocalyptic work speaks to my heart with its symbolism rooted in esoteric lore, urban, tribal and galactic visual patterns, colors of revelation and forgotten truths. As one of the original members of the infamous Rock Steady Crew (remember them from Style Wars), Doze already made his mark back in the 70s as a graffiti writer and b-boy, and then expanded his playground to various live art shows, eventually founding his way to the gallery world (though remained a true outsider from what I can gather). These are some images from his last solo show...expect a mindblow!

EXCERPT FROM THE PRESSKIT:
The artist’s genealogy inspires many of the themes he explores, his aesthetic influences include a mixture of ancient civilizations and indigenous cultures, including his own Afro-Caribbean roots. His totem-like human and animal figures are conceptually based on various polytheistic deities. These divinities represent sentinels, the guardians of universal truths. Immortal warriors warning mankind of dangers society has manifested, looming on the horizon and threatening to destroy us.
The show title, N.O.O.N., stands for No One Observes Nibiru. This references the planet X prophecy of a cataclysmic cosmic shift occurring in the year 2012, causing dramatic effects to life on earth. Also a prominent year in the Mayan and Hopi calendars, 2012 marks the end of our current solar cycle, signifying transition into a new age. Inspired by these theories, there is a transitional quality to the artwork. Movement, migration and transformation of form combine to form enigmatically kinetic narratives. Portals and beams of energy, layered over collaged media clippings, surround Green’s figures which echo social diaspora of the past, yet also seem to be preparing for a futuristic voyage of sorts—a survivalist evacuation plan for the great escape from doomsday.