"Breaking Ground II: Redefining the Urban Experience"

Cover: John “CRASH” Matos, In the Nick of Time, Spray Paint on Canvas, 72 x 144 in.

BREAKING GROUND II: REDEFINING THE URBAN EXPERIENCE Featuring John “CRASH” Matos January 1st, 2017 - February 15th, 2017 326 N. COAST HIGHWAY, LAGUNA BEACH, CA 92651 WWW.JOANNEARTMANGALLERY.COM JOANNEARTMAN@AOL.COM 949.510.5481

BREAKING GROUND II REDEFINING THE URBAN EXPERIENCE A part of the rich cultural and artistic fabric of NYC, the dynamic, explosive work of graffiti legend John “Crash” Matos is coming to the West Coast! Crash’s work is a visual collage which combines elements of comic strips and well-known pop culture imagery with his iconic visual style.

Working in the ever-evolving field of graffiti and street art, Matos is pioneering not only his technique and style but also his pivotal role in the way we perceive graffiti today. Crash curated the groundbreaking show Graffiti Art Success for America at Fashion Moda, New York, in 1980, bringing attention to graffiti on an international stage and re-directing the dialogue around it as a legitimate art form.

JoAnne Artman Gallery is pleased to present Crash’s new works following their inaugural showing at the gallery’s New York City location. In this selected body of work featuring spray paint on canvas as well as watercolor on handmade paper, Crash is working within his distinctive narrative format. Each piece in the exhibition represents a different action sequence of events in various iterations relating to scale. The action here is condensed from the longer narrative format that Matos employs in his larger murals, with characters like Popeye and Dick Tracey collaged into the visual plane of action, abstracted into bursts and streaks of color, executed in Crash’s vivid and dynamic style.

Speaking to the urban experience and rooted in visual and cultural history, Crash’s work will inspire, provoke, engage and mesmerize!

Search for the Serif, Spray Paint on Canvas, 82 x 64 in.

Wrapped in My Own Existence, Spray Paint on Canvas, 46 x 46 in.

Off the Hook, Spray Paint on Canvas, 48 x 60 in.

Blackbook Jungle, Spray Paint on Canvas, 36 x 36 in.

Panorama Overload, Spray Paint on Canvas, 36 x 36 in.

Under the Wire, Spray Paint on Canvas, 36 x 36 in.

Silver Streak, Spray Paint on Canvas, 36 x 36 in.

Pop-Tart, Spray Paint on Canvas, 60 x 48 in.

Silver Streak 2, Spray Paint on Canvas, 48 x 48 in.

Wet and Wild, Spray Paint on Canvas, 60 x 48 in.

Untitled 23, 2016 Watercolor on Paper 16 x 12 in.

Untitled 21, 2016 Watercolor on Paper 16 x 11.75 in.

Untitled 18, 2016 Watercolor on Paper 16 x 11.75 in.

Published in conjunction with the exhibition: Breaking Ground II: Redefining the Urban Experience Featuring John “CRASH” Matos January 1, 2017- February 15, 2017 JoAnne Artman Gallery 326 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Catalogue © JoAnne Artman Gallery Artwork © John “CRASH” Matos Concrete Texture on cover © Flextures.com