TACO-consigliere Sticky Rick puts on the town's most comprehensively dope parties, accompanied by cutting-edge art shows, supreme DJs, rocking bands, cold beer, scrumptious tacos, and a creative, friendly vibe for artists and fans alike to interact, build bonds, and bounce ideas around. Rick is not just the world's best sticker-maker, having made vinyls for Obey, Giant Robot, IFC Channel, X-Large, Robbie Conal, Chaz Bojorquez, and Logan Hicks.
He also posesses a pure passion for the movement, and seemed particularly energized by the creativity and great artistry buzzing around him last Saturday at Hung at the Ghetto Mansion 2, which also hi-lit designs, products, and debuts from Praise the Lowered and Black Van's mad-genius Damon Robinson and Old Chola's Paolo.
The Praise the Lowered, Old Chola, and Black Van clothing lines have struck out to sweep the Southland. If actual everyday humans are catching on at a normal pace, the literal streets of Los Angeles are already decked out, from street-signs sporting Jesus' visage over a bumpin' lo-lo, to the temp tattoos of Ms. Cholita peering from the nape of some Downtown hotty's neck.
While not shooting the shit outside over tacos and DJ Bummer's beats, beside an explosive Joey 'Street Phantom' Krebs figure leaning on the corrugated wall, artists and attendees took in the gallery show upstairs.
The Ghetto Mansion is like a museum in of itself, with contributions from today's brightest street artists covering every corner. Powerful, yet subtle, works from Colin Burns hung beside tight works by Robinson himself on the stairs.
Humourous and thoughtful pieces on seemingly found materials like these above were repped by Disposable Hero.
A little higher up, some mind-blowing and deeply personal work was displayed by ENIK ONE, whose legendary skills were apparent in four frames of carefully constructed effect, where his artistic, adolescent subject appeared to be formed from the tiny imaginary characters hovering in the periphery of his creative aura, maybe a look back on some past inspiration. The four varied, yet similar, canvases came capped by an incredible spine of ENIK faces. We knew the man had skills!
MADONE had some cool takes on the iconic Gotti face and stenciling they've taken through the city, as well, with vivid splashes of violent color and a claustrophobic sense of space.
Not sure who made these mirrors with sayings like "Mourn Celebrity breakups," but they're the shit!
My favorite works of the night came from the enigmatic Restitution Press whose pieces evoke a hyper-realistic Los Angeles through the use of collage, color, silk-screen, and printing that utilizes iconography from their own work, as well as artists we admire, like Euthanasia. The eye-grabbing towers, industrial spaces and careening autos featured are complimented by everyday details that pass our eyes casually, but sing the unmistakable notes of Los Angeles' outlaw, outsider, artist, paranoid, plotter, and third world societies that lurk beneath the celluloid and steel surfaces of our megalopolis. We can't wait to see what comes next from these intriguing artists.
These are some of the reversible hoodies available from Praise the Lowered, as well as one of Robinson's cool lucha libre bean-bag chairs. These black sweatshirts flip to include a mask (in gangsta paisley, calavera, or lucha libre styles) that obscure everything but the eyes, as anomynity is crucial in these times of perpetual surveillance. Robinson's heart is in this as much for the artist friends he designs, as it is for his own growing family and need for expression. He truly cares about today's artists, giving them advice, community, and place in spades, and now we can include equipment to that list.
By-passing the gurgling hot tub to catch a wicked draw a sensi with a friendly cat named 455, TACO went on to talk shop with some of the madmen of RTH Crew. Streets-hero and TACO war correspondant BRANDED and LA Scumbag, creator of My Nugs and TACO's own Nug Report, did their damnedest to keep the few intentionally blank spaces of the night blank from the itchy-cap-fingers of TUNER and the easily lost bladder of the first graf-monkey we've met.
Bosomy blondes are less my style than the Salmitas and Evitas of the world, but fit in perfectly selling Old Chola, Black Van, and Praise the Lowered tees next to Old Chola hot sauce, while Sticky Rick introduced us to a few of our art heroes, like the impressive Brandy Flowers and ENIK ONE himself.
(Unknown assailant w/ Sticky Rick and Damon)
If you're yet to hit one of these killer throwdowns sponsored by Sticky Rick, we'd best to see you at the next one. You won't regret it, having a chance to cavort with a growing, passionate art community filled with innovative ideas, courage, beer, and tacos.
Also, if you need professional stickers, there's no better option than going to Rick. In addition to using the highest-quality materials, we hear Reno's Sticker Guy kicks puppies and eats babies, and that's very uncool, even when served in corn tortillas.
