Fri 5/2 @ 6pm
By Josh Usmani
The latest exhibition at Loren Naji’s Studio Gallery opens with a reception Fri 5/2 in Ohio City. Undercurrent features new work by three of the region’s best street artists – Ron Copeland, Steve Ehret and Bob Peck.
However, if you’re unfamiliar with these talented artists’ work, don’t expect a bunch of graffiti tags of their names. These artists are seasoned veterans of Northeast Ohio’s art community. While staying true to their roots, these artists have evolved their craft to rival any of their peers within a gallery context.
“On one hand, Ron Copeland, Steve Ehret and Bob Peck all have their professional practices stemming from rough, gritty street art,” explains gallery owner Loren Naji. “However, when juxtaposed, it’s their differences that I find interesting. Copeland, the roughest of the three, makes rich installations and works revealing layers of history and grime referencing urban decay. Ehret creates urban landscapes and characters that could have been found in a children’s fantasy book. Peck spray paints as an urban graffiti artist with fluid abstract strokes. He has transformed his rough graffiti to beautiful arabesques which reveal his sensitivity.”
From the art world’s introduction to Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1980s, street art has been incrementally influencing the dialogue of Modern and Contemporary Art. Decades later, many of these artists have been just as influenced by the fine art community, as the fine art community has been influenced by these innovative artists.
Over the years, and since its first introduction to the gallery world, street art has been a breath of fresh air to the commodity-driven, esoteric ambiguity of Modern Art movements such as Conceptualism, Minimalism and Abstract Expressionism. Due to the noncommercial nature of graffiti and street art, it accidentally became a response to the artificially-inflated commercial art market, which itself was just beginning to become the “monster” it is now.
Decades later, the dialogue has evolved as many of these artists became influential in galleries and (perhaps more importantly) mainstream culture around the world. Over the years, this dialogue has influenced both the artists and art professionals. This is especially true of Northeast Ohio’s local street artists. Some of the region’s best street artists have long been accepted and celebrated in the Rust Belt. Whether it’s an abandoned warehouse, foreclosed home or pristine “white cube” gallery, our talented artists have always had plenty of wall space around town.
Since first seeing Bob Peck’s paintings, it was clear that he was something special. Peck creates spontaneous, high-energy abstract paintings, often featuring curved, straight and/or jagged lines over big, flat fields of color. The works are simultaneously familiar and fresh. It’s as if Peck studied the dialogue of Modern and Contemporary Art, digested it and reacted to it from his unique perspective. The result is a perfectly balanced hybrid of Abstract Expressionism and graffiti. Further, he manages to (consciously or subconsciously) reference both Color Field and Action/Gesture subgenres of Abstract Expressionism.
“I love doing shows with Steve and Ron. I feel that although all of our styles are very different, we try to convey the same feelings in our art,” says Peck. “You can see the technical complexities in each of our pieces, but at the same time, there’s always a presence of raw, urban grittiness.”
Ron Copeland’s installation work adds a unique dimension to the show. While his work can be as bright and colorful as any of Ehret or Peck’s paintings, Copeland’s materials evoke the industrial atmosphere of the Rust Belt. Copeland often incorporates cropped sections of hand-painted signage into layered collage wall pieces. He simultaneously crops and combines these elements to create new meaning out of these now obsolete relics of our region’s past.
The work captures aesthetics of Midwestern Americana that have already began to fade from our current society. As everything continues to go digital, Copeland’s work helps us pause and reflect on who we are, where we come from and where we’re going.
Steve Ehret is a beast – and I mean that in the best possible way. From his giant, spray-painted murals around town to his intricate, meticulous oil paintings, Ehret never ceases to amaze. Ehret’s monsters and creatures have a strong cartoon-influence, but his skill level is clearly on display in these highly rendered works. Ehret’s work is especially important because his visual style is perfect to engage, and potentially influence, the next generation of young audiences and artists. He makes art that is much more accessible to young visitors than most of his peers, and that is crucial if we’re going to mold a generation that appreciates and supports the arts.
“I wanted to produce work that was a bit chaotic and free flowing,” explains Ehret.”I wanted to let myself go a little and loosen up some of the rules I set for myself previously. I also wanted to build off the foundation I have made for myself previously and push to find new ways of using a flat surface – both with oil on wood panels and mixed media on paper. I wanted to use my mediums in a way that made the work almost dream-like but with a foot or two on the ground as well.
“Going with the theme of the show Undercurrent I wanted the work to be a force that was pushing and pulling me in any direction it wanted to. I pretty much took my hands off the wheel. Whatever happens, happens. I wanted the pieces to reflect my life and the fact that we really have no real control over what can come along in life at any moment. We can be swept up into any direction and we must roll with it. All these outside forces push and pull us every day. Current events, politics, religion, relationships and the health of loved ones. We have to do our best to decipher the message and dig through the mess to find what’s true and positive – layer upon layer. Swimming and floating along. Discovering new patterns, places and forms in everyday life that we did not even realize existed.
“I am very excited to show with Ron Copeland and Bob Peck. Two artists from different regions of the Midwest but both have a very different vision. It’s been a few years since we have all shown together and I’m excited to get into Loren’s beautiful gallery and mix it up a bit.”
Stop by Loren Naji’s Studio Gallery Friday evening to see this exciting, innovative work for yourself. The reception will feature food, live music and Naji’s infamous “Beer Pit.”
Josh Usmani is a 27 year old local artist, curator and writer. Since 2008, his work has been featured in over 50 local and regional exhibitions.