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The process for Laura Ortiz Vega's Landscape Series begins with the photographic documentation of different graffiti she encounters in her native surroundings of Mexico City.
Vega utilizes the artisan techniques of the Huichol Indians, painting the surface with colorful threads glued with a natural wax called cera de Campeche. Vega's work re-contextualizes the graffiti to give the viewer the experience of intimacy and curiosity, transforming their encounter from an aggressive, bodily and masculine experience into a more delicate, manual and feminine one. More than an art fair, NEXT is a showcase for the world's talents and an adventure in innovative culture. An opportunity to redefine the relationship between art and its public, NEXT is a platform for established and emerging galleries to promote the work of cutting-edge artists. NEXT is dedicated to the exhibition and advancement of today's art.
PECOU in Paris @ Backslash Gallery
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...and Poor Us Is He, 2011. Acrylic & oil pastel on canvas 72 x 60 in
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Fahamu Pecou All Falls Down April 30th - May 28 29 rue notre Notre-Dame de Nazareth Paris France 75004 +33 9 81 11 37 44 delphine@backslashgallery.com Backslash Gallery is proud to be presenting the first ever French exhibition of works by American artist Fahamu Pecou. Fahamu Pecou is known for his tireless multiple representations of Afro-American identity in all its forms, especially those linked to hip-hop culture. All FALLS DOWN, SECOND CHILDHOOD, WHERE MY N-WORDS and COCK, AIM & SHOOT train the spotlight on the identity of black men in modern-day American society. Along with the hard-won abolition of slavery, the black man developed a number of stereotypes tied into his need to carve out a place for himself while maintaining his own identity and cultural roots. This need has sometimes caused him to overplay these stereotypes, leading to a number of excesses as symbolized by hip-hop culture: masculine domination pushed to its limits, a permanent quest for financial success, distorted sexuality and the instrumentalization of women. The artist explains, "The confusion and contradictions from the attempts to achieve elusive patriarchal masculinity can clearly be seen in the behaviors of young black men between the ages of 18-25. Ironically, this is also the period of black male development most often portrayed in the media. It is during this time that the young black man is at his most vulnerable. Feelings of powerlessness abound, he feels trapped. In his home as well as the world-at-large, he is constantly bombarded with the idea that he is inherently flawed. As a result, he places no value on his own life. His desperation is manifested in self-destructive behaviors, all behind the facade of bravery." Fahamu Pecou is questioning the idea of the boundary between self-protection and self-destruction. Each series of work offers some sort of an answer: the recent trend for trousers worn below the hips, conflicting attitudes, sex and violence, a return to childhood expressed in fashion and a taste for a certain type of car, and the relationship between men and women. The artist proffers his own definition of the permanent sense of violence felt by these young members of American society. ### For more information and images, please contact: Lyons Wier Gallery 542 West 24th Street New York, NY 10011 Phone: (212)242-6220 gallery@lyonswiergallery.com www.lyonswiergallery.com | 
