LoveGalo and KGB Studios are proud to present:

 ROCKIN’ 2011 – 20 years later - An Art Exhibition and Tribute.

20 years later is a large-scale group exhibition curated by none other than Los Angeles and Mexico’s pioneering graffiti artist, Galo “Make” Canote, also known as LoveGalo and by associated curator and legendary graffiti artist, Oscar “BeskUno” Rivera.

August 27th, 2011 from 7:00pm to 11:00pm

KGB LA Gallery 

1640 North Spring Street

Los Angeles CA 90012

The ROCKIN’ 91 piece was a memorable graffiti piece executed by legendary graffiti artists, Besk and Make, at the historic Belmont Tunnel Yard. The piece paid homage to all the pioneers of the graffiti art movement, honored those that paved the way and mindfully respected those that have also passed away. In 2001, Besk and Make teamed up once again at the Belmont Yard to execute their ROCKIN’ 01 piece which possessed the same theme and concept, and celebrated another 10 years of continual and significant contribution to the movement. 

2011 marks their 20th year anniversary and ROCKIN’ 2011 will be an art exhibit that continues the same tradition as the first piece. It will also have a special emphasis on the vacant location, The Belmont Tunnel Yard, that served as a public street art gallery space where local graffiti artists, from throughout the U.S. and the world would gather and express themselves artistically - The Historic Belmont Tunnel.

ROCKIN’ 2011 will showcase art by legendary, pioneering and well-respected graffiti artists. In addition, photographers who have documented the graffiti art, lifestyle and history of the Belmont Tunnel will share the spotlight. A video ephemera by Mr RTD1, will also be provided for further historical context and information surrounding The Pacific Electric Railway’s Belmont Tunnel and its monumental contribution to the graffiti movement. 

There will be an altar installation depicting the graffiti artist’s lifestyle by Ofelia Esparza & ZANlovesEastLA. Ofelia Esparza & ZANlovesEastLA are an esteemed team of artists highly noted for their stunningly beautiful and elaborate Dia de los Muertos and traditional altars.

Artists participating are:

Anger - Arco - Baba - Bash - BenBaller - Ben Esparza - Besk - Cale - Chubbs - Cre8 - David “Some” Arquette - EarnOne - Eriberto Oriol - Fear - OG Graff - Hex - Just195 - Augustine Kofie – Mear - Mosh - Mr RTD1 - Ofelia Esparza & ZANlovesEastLA - Pyro - Relic - Risky – Sergio “Doc” Rueda - Shandu - Size - Skan - Skept - Spurn - Steve Grody - Trina Calderon - Unit - Volt - Vyal - Wisk - YemOne - Zuco - and many more plus special guests.

Rapid Fire 2011

Ink on velum 

On Friday, August 19 I will be showing some smaller works on paper in a crew show at the Lunch Money shop off Melrose. TYER has been holding down the shop for close to a year now and it was time for a family show. There is also going to be a black & white  coloring book with the whole crews letter styles available at the opening for an undisclosed amount as of yet. Def a lil collectors item with letter ways from all of the above mentioned. 

Full shot when I get back down to Long Beach, and when the shadow from the stalled Peterbilt isn’t a factor.

-Kof

Triangulations of a KO

East Hollywood, California. 

Painted late July 2011

Latex enamel, spray-paint [new and expired] & bitumen

The purples and mauves used on this one are not my general color palette, this is a result of me clearing out a stockpile of colors of I don’t usually use that were taking up space in the studio.

This piece also marks my first burner in Los Angeles as a new edition on the TRANSCEND roster.

LARGE

Detail on Flickr

Tumblr Post

Blackbird  

8.5 x 11 inches 

Sharpie & white-out illustration on aged vellum.

Photo reference photographer: Koury Angelo

2011

Backbird is talented

Sun-Ra’s Reach

Acrylic on primed duck canvas

5′ x 4′

 On Saturday, July 23, 2011 I painte on stage with Build An Ark and the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and Voice of U.G.M.A.A at Grand Performances in Downtown Los Angeles, curated and Hosted by Carlos Niño. Carlos inspired me to paint a portrait of Sun-Ra during the event event to signify the idea of free jazz and to resect to termanology of Arkestry. 

Grand Performances 25th Anniversary Series Presents:

Celebrating The Community Band: An Evening Of Akrestry

Curated and Hosted by Carlos Niño

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Build An Ark’s 10th Anniversary Set

8:00pm

Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and Voice of U.G.M.A.A.’s 50th Anniversary Set

9:00pm

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Live painting on stage by Kofie

Live screen printing by Hit+Run 

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California Plaza

350 South Grand Avenue

Los Angeles, California 90071

Facebook Event

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Saturday, July 23, 2011

7:00pm

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Build An Ark:

Andres Renteria - Percussion, Baba Craig Ramos - Vocals, Damon Aaron - Vocals, Guitar, Dexter Story - Drums, Electric Piano and Vocals, Dwight Trible - Lead Vocals, Gaby Hernandez - Vocals, Garret Lang - Bass, Jim Lang - Organ, Joey Dosik - Electric and Acoustic Piano, Mark Maxwell - Vocals, Radha Botofasina - Harp, Ralph “Buzzy” Jones - Reeds, Sheila Govindarajan - Vocals, Tara Speiser - Bassoon, Tony Austin - Drums, Tracy Wannomae - Reeds, Waberi Jordan - Vocals,

with Derf Reklaw - Congas, Double G - Baritone Sax, Emile Poree - Guitar, James Richards - Gong, Michael White & Leisei Chen - Violin and Vocals, Peter Harris - Poetry, Phil Ranelin - Trombone

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson - Violin, Viola, Music Director

Carlos Niño - Producer and Special Effects

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Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra:

Amos Delon - Baritone Sax, Azar Lawrence - Tenor Sax, Derf Reklaw - Congas, Fundi Legohn - French Horn, Issaac Smith - Trombone, Kaki Roberts - Flute, Kamau Daaood - Poetry, Mahesh Balasooriya - Piano, Maia - Flute, Mekala Session - Drums, Randal Fisher - Tenor Sax, Rembert James - Trombone, Richard Grant - Trumpet, Roberto Miranda - Bass, Steve Smith - Trumpet, Tracy Caldwell - Alto Sax

with Voice of U.G.M.A.A.: Dante Chambers - Vocals, Denise Groce - Vocals, Dwight Trible - Lead Vocals, Elesia Session -Vocals, Nikia Billingslea - Vocals, Renee Fisher - Vocals, Waberi Jordan - Vocals, and JJ & Kabsa Afrikan Drum and Dance Ensemble

Michael Session - Alto Sax, Soprano Sax, Music Director

In July I finally made it out to the UK for the first time. My primary reason for the trip was to contribute works as well as a mural for the much spoken of Rudimentary Perfection Group show in Glasgow Scotland. What a success. A true pleasure to meet and communicate in person with a great handful of creatives.

Remi Rough and I had been going back and fourth before my trip with a comp generated mock-up for our planned wall. He had locked down a lovely banger just off the main thoroughfare in South London, East Dulwich to be exact. A great location and a positive response from the locals who were new to not only having a mural, but one in such a fashion.

What a pleasure it was to bang on a wall with Rem like. This one is definitely a highlight in my career.

Remi’s Post on our collaboration

Graffuturism feature on our exploits

Here is what Strictly Kev documented 

KO 

Enamel spray paint & emulsion on ceramic tiles [2011]

Glasgow, Scotland

Detail of Mark Lykens Mural

Enamel spray paint & emulsion on ceramic tiles [2011]

Glasgow, Scotland

Since all the artists were painting separately in the city it was difficult to make it out to each wall to see the progress since we were all caught up. On my next to last day in Glasgow I finally made it out to Lyken and Jago’s respective walls in the city. There was a bit of space on the far left so I gave it a go with a tecky negative style KO with the scraps on hand.

Here is a link to the mural locations

Here is Recoats Masterblaster of the whole event 

The wall on Lykens Flickr

Enamel, acrylic and bitumen on primed brick [2011]

Glasgow, UK

During the Rudimentary Perfection exhibition at Recoat Gallery each of the artists that made it out to the show painted walls throughout Glasgow thanks to the efforts of Amy and Ali of Recoat. My wall above as well as Jaybo Monks wall ended up being the closest to the gallery, literally along the side of the building.

Here is a link to the mural locations

Here is Recoats Masterblaster of the whole event 

Circulations of gentleman in colorama [2011]

Triangulations circa 1952 [2011]

10 3/8 x 10 3/8 x 1 inches

26.4  x  26.4 x  2.5 cm

Found paper, ball point pen, ink, acrylic & spray paint on wood panel.

Framed in vintage yardsticks.Finished in matte gel medium. 

SOLD

 Rudimentary triangulations, perfected [2011]

10 3/8 x 10 3/8 x 1 inches

26.4  x  26.4 x  2.5 cm

Found paper, ball point pen, ink, acrylic & spray paint on wood panel.

Framed in vintage yardsticks.Finished in matte gel medium.

SOLD

3 assemblage works on display for the month of July during the

Recoat Gallery group show Rudimentary Perfection

Recoat Gallery 

323 North Woodside Road

G20 6ND Glasgow

United Kingdom

Opening on 1st of July 2011, 7-10pm, Scotland’s Recoat Gallery will host the UK’s first comprehensive Graffuturism Exhibition titled “Rudimentary Perfection“. The exhibition pulls together an impressive group of notable international artists linked by their innovative spirit & shared graffiti heritage. The project has been heralded as one of the finest of its kind to take place anywhere in the world this year.

Each of these artists has ventured down unique paths in their post graffiti output & each offers a radical take on expressive, figurative & letter-based abstraction. These works, while differing in approach & execution retain the sense of movement, assured marks & imperfect beauty of graffiti itself.