[dropcap size=big]O[/dropcap]ne of LA's graffiti legends MEAR ONE also has a thriving career as a fine artist that has taken him all over the world to show a growing body of work that hits on the themes he's been exploring his entire life: our place in the universe, how we treat each other, and the mystery of life on earth. His latest show just opened in the South of France, showcasing smaller works compared to the large oils and acrylics he typically paints, but still instantly recognizable at classic MEAR. The show opened last week in Montepellier, at Gallery at Down. If you find yourself there, the show is open until October 30th.
"The resonant experience of being, the transcendence of material to aether, there is nothing more real than the alchemy of body, spirit & mind. The realization of our wasted consciousness while in pursuit of things, money and fame, greatness and permanence, however great or small, these things matter not when the frequency shifts and the illusion fades. For truth is beyond change, and change is the constant unchanging truth. To find the path in the company of chaos is to be in tune to the resonance."
-MEAR ONE, August 2016
"MEAR ONE - A prophet in his own country? We might smile, but the comparison is not that far-fetched. His highly communicative visual art requires the same keen attention as any narrative would. Long a major figure on the Los Angeles graffiti and street art scene, MEAR ONE explores the obscure corners of life through his paintings. Give him a wall and, with the undiminished energy of his early days, he'll tell us about ancient mythologies, political shenanigans, conspiracy theories, the big stories of history, science and philosophy, spirituality and mysticism, sometimes bringing up uncomfortable truths that we'd rather not acknowledge. Nothing seems to escape MEAR ONE's awareness. His convictions (alarming, yet filled with hope) are abundantly offered and powerfully expressed; beautifully executed, complex and technically brilliant.
MEAR ONE is a subtle chronicler of modern times, and he can produce paintings of a nearly oppressive realism set within a surrealist atmosphere. With their succession of perspectives, details, events and characters, his works are highly complex but nevertheless a true pleasure to contemplate. The stunning effect of light and the intelligent use of color combine in shadings, draping and mistiness, all of which attest to the patience and ardor that the artist brings to his work.
Emerging from all this visual information are his interpretations and criticisms of society, although he leaves us free to take notice or not. Of his own country, this messianic painter has much to say. Although he also comments on the broader issues of the world, his mission is often to draw us into an awareness of the energy, more or less visible and volatile, that surrounds our humdrum lives. With the "Innerverses" exhibition at Galerie At Down, MEAR ONE returns to exploring life at its most intangible, spiritual and mysterious. Never moralizing, never pedantic, his paintings simply evoke tranquility, fascination, thoughtfulness and wonder. Perpetually seeking to share what he sees in the world around him, MEAR ONE combines content and form to explore the human condition, always moving forward. His mission: to alert us to what really matters in life, and he does so while remaining deeply faithful to his graffiti roots."
-Excerpt from the Introduction to "Innerverses"
-Published by Les Presses Litteraires, September 2016
