Combinations

CEY ADAMS COMBINATIONS OCTOBER 21 - NOVEMBER 19, 2023

WCC.ART

@WCC.ART

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Photo: Janette Beckman

COMBINATIONS West Chelsea Contemporary is proud to present Combinations, a solo show of new works by master of collage Cey Adams. Weaving visual narratives of selfexpression and storytelling with the historic lens of American pop culture, Combinations is Cey Adams’ most expansive body of work to date. Using mixed media collage Adams superimposes his 40 years of art and design with iconography of the last seven decades. The title, Combinations, captures the breadth and diversity of Adams’ acclaimed career and highlights his ability to integrate multitudinous styles, techniques, and influences. The resulting work transforms West Chelsea Contemporary’s 7,800 sqft exhibition space into a vibrant exploration and celebration of Cey Adams’ singular vision.

Combinations invites us to reflect on the rich heritage of American pop culture from the 60’s and 70’s through the present day. Exploring themes of race, gender relations, and cultural and community issues, Adams’ challenges us to look beyond societal divisions while inspiring unity and uplifting those who engage with his work.

Rooted in transformation and discovery, the work in Combinations serves as a powerful reminder of the vast potential of art and its ability to shape our cultural landscape.

At the heart of Combinations is Adams’ storied history and technical mastery of Graffiti, Street Art, and Graphic Design. In the late 70s Adams was a pioneering Graffiti writer in New York City and appeared in the historic 1982 documentary Style Wars. By 1984 Adams’ stepped into the role of founding Creative Director of Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons’ Def Jam Recordings, and along with his business partner Steve Carr, co-founded The Drawing Board, the label’s in house design firm. The creative firm was responsible for some of the most iconic album covers and logo designs, shaping the identity of the genre’s biggest artists, including Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Public Enemy, The Notorious B.I.G., DMX, Jay-Z, Usher, Mary J. Blige, and many more.

Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, Combinations embodies Adams’ unique vision and celebrates his 40-year artistic journey. Seamlessly weaving together a collection of mixed media on panel, works on paper, prints, and sculpture, Adams’ expands upon his iconic series Trusted Brands.

This series pays homage to the craftsmanship and design of brand logos while exploring our collective fascination with brand loyalty and larger questions about the celebration of American culture. Imbued with nostalgia and an unmistakable energy, his work dismantles imagery and vintage ephemera to construct layers of color, texture, shape, and light. Adams’ masterful ability to combine elements from different eras and cultural genres highlights the intersectionality of American pop culture.

Featured alongside Adams’ body of work are two legendary documentary photographers who have captured the spirit of Graffiti and Hip-Hop — Martha Cooper and Janette Beckman. To celebrate Combinations, Cey Adams partnered with both Cooper and Beckman to create collaborative limited edition prints alongside WCC Editions and master silkscreen printer Gary Lichtenstein. Each of the three prints highlight the evolution of Adams’ artistic journey. CARWASH 1982 features one of Adams’ earliest Graffiti pieces captured in color film photography

by Martha Cooper in the summer of 1982. Representing his storied career working with Hip-Hop greats is RUN-DMC MASHUP, a collaboration between Cey Adams and Janette Beckman. Finally, reflecting on his 40 years of art and design Def Jam Recordings takes an original mixed media collage created in 2023 and translates it into a limited edition silkscreen print.

West Chelsea Contemporary is proud to present the expansive world of Cey Adams and highlight his role as a driving creative force in America’s art and design industry for four decades. Join us in celebrating the enduring impact and influence of Graffiti, Street Art, and Hip-Hop on our cultural landscape.

CEY ADAMS American, b. 1962

Cey Adams, New York City native and visionary artist, emerged from the downtown graffiti movement in the 80's alongside fellow artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Adams began his art career while still in his teens, tagging "Cey City" on subway cars and painting murals to showcase his artwork.

At 19, Adams was represented by Graffiti Above Ground gallery in lower Manhattan, the first gallery to represent prominent graffiti artists. Adams was immersed in the downtown art and music scene. During this time he met the Beastie Boys. He developed a fast friendship with the band and designed their first logo, t-shirts, and singles. The Beastie Boys and Adams would go on to be longtime collaborators including designing their 1998 "Hello Nasty.”

Around the same time he met manager/music producer Russell Simmons at RUSH Artist Management where Adams designed logos and merch for the artist roster including Kurtis Blow, Whodini, and Jimmy Spicer. A few years later Simmons, along with music producer Rick Rubin, founded Def Jam Recordings. This is where Adams had the opportunity to showcase everything he learned up to this point.

Adams served as the founding Creative Director at Def Jam Recordings, and along with his business partner Steve Carr, co-founded The Drawing Board, the label’s inhouse design firm, where they “defined the visual culture of Hip-Hop.” The creative firm was responsible for some of the most iconic album covers, logos, and advertising campaigns for Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Public Enemy, The Notorious B.I.G., DMX, Jay-Z, Usher, Mary J. Blige, and many more.

In 2016, Adams was commissioned by The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture to make am artwork titled ONE NATION. The large scale (Black) American flag collage piece was made live on the National Mall in Washington, DC, at "Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration,” a three-day festival celebrating the historic occasion. The festival included performances by Public Enemy, The Roots, Meshell Ndegeocello, and a ribbon cutting ceremony by President Barack Obama. ONE NATION honors heroes of the Civil Rights Movement and is part of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture permanent collection.

Photo: Robert Bredvad

ONE NATION is part of Adams' Trusted Brand series of mixed media collage works of popular American brand logos from his youth, including Cap’N Crunch, Coca-Cola, GE, Hot Wheels, Barbie, and Zenith. Adams draws inspiration from 60’s pop art, vintage sign painting, and comics. His work focuses on themes including pop culture, brand identity, cultural, and community issues.

In 2019, Pabst Brewing Company commissioned Adams to “reimagine” their iconic Pabst Blue Ribbon logo. The brand placed Adams’ design on 150 million cans that were displayed and distributed nationally. The partnership included the launch of the inaugural National Mural Day on May 19, 2019. Adams curated the mural artists Pabst Blue Ribbon partnered with for murals in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Detroit, Seattle and created a mural in Brooklyn, NY for the launch.

Adams has collaborated with global brands including Levi’s, Mattel, The Recording Academy, Apple, Bacardi, IDEO, Foot Locker, Converse, YouTube, Google, and many more. He exhibits, lectures, and teaches art workshops at leading institutions including: The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the City of New York, School of Visual Arts, Temple University, MoCA Los Angeles, Stanford University, Howard University, and University of Michigan, among others.

Adams designed the award-winning Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap (Smithsonian/Folkways), a box set including a 300-page book and 9 CD set; curated and designed The Mash Up: Hip-Hop Photos Remixed by Iconic Graffiti Artists (Hat & Beard Press); designed Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label (Rizzoli); and co-authored DEFinition: The Art and Design of Hip-Hop (Harper-Collins).

Departure: 40 Years of Art & Design, Adams’ retrospective exhibition, debuted in 2022 at Stone Gallery at Boston University. It is currently on view at the College of Visual Arts & Design Gallery at the University of North Texas, Denton. The exhibition will continue to travel in 2024 and beyond.

ceyadams.com @ceyadams

Photo: Robert Bredvad

CEY ADAMS b. 1962, New York SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023 Combinations, West Chelsea Contemporary, Austin, TX Departure - 40 Years of Art and Design, College of Visual Arts and Design Gallery, University of North Texas, Denton, TX Levi’s® 150th Anniversary Pop-Up - Mural on Denim Installation, The Armory, San Francisco, CA Grammy House, Hip-Hop 50 Exhibition, Mural Installation and Curation, The

Recording Academy, Los Angeles, CA

2022 Departure - 40 Years of Art and Design, Stone Gallery, Boston University, Boston, MA Melba’s Outpost, Wollman Rink at Central Park, New York, NY ETCetera - 40 Years of Art and Design, NewStudio Gallery, St. Paul, MN 2019 IDEO - Mural Installation, New York, NY 2018 Levi’s® Global Flagship Store Launch - Installation, Global Flagship Store Times Square, New York, NY 2016 Pulling Through: Reflections of America, Gary Lichtenstein Editions, Jersey City, NJ Dependable Champion, Forre Gallery, Aspen, CO 2015 Brand New, New BLK Gallery, Omaha, NE Trusted Brands, Rush Arts Gallery, New York, NY RedEye, ArtServe Gallery, Fort Lauderdale, FL Urban League of Broward County, Fort Lauderdale, FL YPO / PRODJECT, New York, NY Logo-A-GoGo, New York, NY 2014 Foreign Exchange, ArtSource International, New York, NY

SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023 Concrete to Canvas, West Chelsea Contemporary Gallery, Austin, TX Art of Hip-Hop, Museum of Graffiti, Seoul, Korea Art of Hip-Hop, Museum of Graffiti, SXSW, Austin, TX Gary Lichtenstein: Painter and Master Printer, The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH Visual Language: The Art of Protest, Subliminal Projects Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Beyond the Streets London, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK 2022 Beastie Boys, Beyond the Streets, Los Angeles, CA Concrete to Canvas, West Chelsea Contemporary Gallery, Austin, TX Art for Tibet - 10 Year Anniversary, NoWhere Gallery, New York, NY 2021 Wollman Rink Central Park Opening - Mural Installation, New York, NY Concrete to Canvas, West Chelsea Contemporary Gallery, Austin, TX 2020 Concrete to Canvas, West Chelsea Contemporary Gallery, Austin, TX Art Means Business, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Art for Tibet, Holiday, New York, NY 2019 Beyond the Streets, Brooklyn, NY 100 Works, Creative Hub, Brooklyn, NY Art for Tibet, New York, NY 2018 TEMPLE APPS/MAPS, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA STACHE - Creative Awareness Through Art, Fort Lauderdale, FL Hip-Hop NOW!, Jacob Javits Center, New York, NY Boom-Bap!, YouTube Grammy’s Group Exhibition, YouTube HQ, New York, NY Gary Lichtenstein Editions, Mana Contemporary Art Center, Jersey City, NJ

POP, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 60" x 60"

SUNOCO, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 36" x 36"

TEXACO, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 48" x 48"

GE x GOODYEAR, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 60" x 60“

BARBIE, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 36" x 72"

BRILLO, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 36" x 36"

PAN AM, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 36" x 36"

PARAMOUNT, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 48" x 48"

RCA (THE MERCHANTS), 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 30" x 30"

ARM & HAMMER, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 48" x 48"

Cey Adams x Morning Breath CRAZY HEADY, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 36" x 36"

WILD STYLE, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 48" x 48"

AMERICAN FLAG, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 60" x 114"

LOVE, 2023 Acrylic and latex on panel 36" x 72"

LOVE (Orange), 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 24" x 24"

LOVE (Green), 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 24" x 24"

CEY, 2023 Latex on Levi’s® denim 60" x 57"

RED MOSAIC, 2023 Latex on Levi’s® denim 60" x 57"

150 YEARS OF QUALITY, 2023 Latex on Levi’s® denim 60" x 57"

RED MOSAIC, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 70" x 45"

LOWERCASE A, 2023 Mixed media collage on panel 60" x 60"

MOSAIC, 2023 Latex on canvas 48" x 48"

FOUR EVER, 2023 Mixed media collage on watercolor paper 12" x 12"

YELLOW MOSAIC No. 1, 2023 Mixed media collage on watercolor paper 18" x 18"

YELLOW MOSAIC No. 2, 2023 Mixed media collage on watercolor paper 18" x 18"

LUCKY NUMBER 7, 2023 Mixed media collage on watercolor paper 18" x 18"

10, 2023 Mixed media collage on watercolor paper 18" x 18"

9, 2023 Mixed media collage on watercolor paper 18" x 18"

BLACK SUN (5000), 2023 Mixed media collage on watercolor paper 18" x 18"

WCC EDITIONS To celebrate the opening of Combinations, Cey Adams partnered with two legendary documentary photographers who have captured the spirit of Graffiti and Hip-Hop — Martha Cooper and Janette Beckman. Alongside WCC Editions and master silkscreen printer Gary Lichtenstein, Adams created three new limited edition silkscreen prints that highlight the evolution of his artistic journey.

CARWASH 1982 features one of Adams’ earliest Graffiti pieces captured in color film photography by Martha Cooper in the summer of 1982. Representing his storied career working with Hip-Hop greats is RUN-DMC MASHUP, a collaboration between Cey Adams and Janette Beckman. Finally, reflecting on his 40 years of art and design, Def Jam Recordings takes an original mixed media collage created in 2023 and translates it into a limited edition silkscreen print.

WCC Editions is the publishing arm of West Chelsea Contemporary. Limited edition artist prints and multiples published and distributed by WCC Editions are produced according to the highest quality standard in the industry. We collaborate with master printer Gary Lichtenstein at Gary Lichtenstein Editions to achieve unparalleled quality.

GARY LICHTENSTEIN EDITIONS Gary Lichtenstein Editions is a publisher and printer of fine art silkscreen editions and multiples. Over the course of his remarkable 45-year career, Gary Lichtenstein has collaborated with a wide variety of different artists including Cey Adams, Charlie Ahearn, Janette Beckman, Joanne Greenbaum, Jane Dickson, Bob Gruen, Charles Hinman, Eric Orr, James Prosek, Shelter Serra and Jessica Stockholder. He has printed for industry legends including Marina Abramovic, Robert Cottingham, Robert Indiana and Ken Price. Lichtenstein’s prints have been exhibited and collected by, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian, the San Francisco Art Institute, and the Chicago Art Institute, among others.

MARTHA COOPER American, b. 1942

Renowned documentary photographer Martha Cooper is best known for chronicling New York’s burgeoning graffiti and Hip-Hop scene of the 1970s and ‘80s. When Cooper became the first female staff photographer at the New York Post in 1977, she set out to capture the beauty and ingenuity of graffiti art and the innovators behind it, immortalizing their work in photographs of painted subway cars and urban walls. Cooper’s images validated and legitimized graffiti writers at a time when few members of the art establishment celebrated their work.

In the decades since, Cooper’s work has been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide including Museum of the City of New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Pera Museum, Istanbul; Hellerau European Center for the Arts, Dresden; Urbannation, Berlin; Trafo Galerie, Prague; Pallazo Incontro, Rome; Stolen Space Gallery, London and Fullersta Gard, Stockholm. Her work was featured in the exhibition Bridges of Graffiti at the 2015 Venice Biennale. Numerous books of her work have been published including Subway Art (1984), Hip Hop Files (2004), We B* Girlz (2005), Street Play (2006), New York State of Mind (2007), Tag Town (2007), Going Postal (2009) and Tokyo Tattoo 1970 (2012). Her hit 1984 photobook Subway Art, made in collaboration with photographer Henry Chalfant, has been reprinted multiple times and is affectionately known as the “graffiti bible,” providing a template for aspiring street artists. In the 33 years it has been in print has consistently outsold nearly every other art book on the market.

Photo: Janette Beckman

Martha Cooper x Cey Adams CARWASH 1982 (/75), 2023 Silkscreen and diamond dust on 320 gram Coventry Rag paper 28.5" x 39"

JANETTE BECKMAN British, b. 1959

British-born photographer Janette Beckman began her career at the dawn of punk rock working for publications such as The Face and Melody Maker. She shot bands from The Clash to Boy George as well as three Police album covers. Drawn to the underground Hip-Hop scene, she moved to NYC in 1983 and photographed pioneers Run-DMC, Slick Rick, Salt-n-Pepa, Grand Master Flash, LL Cool J and many more.

Beckman’s work has been shown in galleries and museums worldwide including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles and Kunsthal Rotterdam, among others. Her work resides in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Museum of the City of New York, the Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe, France, and the British National Portrait Gallery. She has published numerous books including ‘The Mash Up’, a collaboration with iconic New York graffiti artists reinterpreting her hip hop images, and ‘Rebels: From Punk to Dior,’ a monograph covering four decades of photography. Beckman continues to chronicle sub-cultures of our generation and as well as working on shoots for clients such as Levi’s, Apple, and Dior.

Photo: Gudrun Georges

Janette Beckman x Cey Adams RUN-DMC MASHUP (/25), 2023 Silkscreen on 320 gram Coventry Rag paper 31.5" x 38"

Photo: Robert Bredvad

Cey Adams Def Jam Recordings (/75), 2023 Silkscreen on 320 gram Coventry Rag paper 31" x 31.5"

Cey Adams American Flag (White) Canvas (/18), 2021 American Flag (Red, White, Blue) Canvas (/18), 2021 American Flag (Black) Canvas (/18), 2021 Silkscreen print on canvas 20" x 40"

Janette Beckman x Cey Adams KEITH HARING MASHUP (/50), 2022 Silkscreen and gold leaf on 320 gram Coventry Rag paper 40" x 32"

Cey Adams LOVE (Wildflower) (/75), 2022 34 Color Silkscreen on 320gsm Coventry Rag Paper 31" x 45"

West Chelsea Contemporary is much more than the typical gallery. Offering worldclass art in a dynamic, interactive setting. WCC produces museum-quality exhibitions year-round with programming that is free and open to the public.

West Chelsea Contemporary’s collection includes artists influential to Pop Art, Street Art, Graffiti, Post-Graffiti and contemporary art as well as tastemakers of these movements. With a local, national, and international roster of represented artists, West Chelsea Contemporary situates artwork from the primary market alongside a highly curated selection of pieces from the secondary market. This novel display of represented, emerging and mid-career artists alongside Blue Chip masters increases each artist’s exposure and serves to make connections between their work.

1009 West 6th Street #120 Austin, TX 78703 Monday - Wednesday 10am - 6pm Thursday - Friday 10am - 8pm Saturday 10am - 6pm; Sunday 12 - 6pm 512.478.4440 sales@wcc.art wcc.art @wcc.art

Thank You to: Gary Seals, Lindsay Hamm and everyone at WCC Levi’s® Chad Hinson, Bart Sights, Christine Reloba Mattel, Richard Dickson, Ethan Wood Gary Lichtenstein, Melissa Marr at GLE Martha Cooper, Janette Beckman, Eric Adams Special Thanks to Linda Yang

$25.00