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Street Cred

Artists: Mr. Brainwash, Seen, Blek Le Rat, Risk, and Chris Zidek
July 6 - August 23rd
Opening Reception: July 6, 2019 6-9 PM

Tinney Contemporary is thrilled to share our latest exhibition, ‘Street Cred’ featuring world-renowned street artists Blek Le Rat, Mr. Brainwash, Seen, Risk and Chris Zidek. ‘Street Cred’ is curated in collaboration with Brian Greif, co-founder of the Nashville Walls Project. Each of the artists featured began their careers through graffiti, developing their own signature styles across walls, subways, billboards --anywhere they could leave their mark. The artists featured have accreditations such as the ‘Godfather of Graffiti’ or ‘The Father of Stencil Graffiti’ and  paved the way for the largest art movement of the 20th century.

Blek Le Rat began his career in the streets of Paris in the 1980s. He is renowned as ‘The Father of Stencil Graffiti’ and has inspired countless modern street artists through his pioneering of stencil-work. He has left his mark on walls across the world and continues to work on walls both inside and outside the confines of a traditional gallery. His large stencils can be found in Nashville as well, including new work for Montgomery Bell Academy in 2018.

Mr. Brainwash uses elements of pop art and pop culture in the language of street art. His fame grew through his influence in the critically-acclaimed film “Exit Through the Gift Shop” in which Mr. Brainwash captures the street art movement alongside Banksy and others. His work has continued to attract the attention of critics, celebrities, and art fans alike with appearances in film, music and the art world.

Seen, or Richard Mirando, began his career on the East Coast when street art was still in its infancy. Infiltrating NYC subways in the 1970s, Seen’s use of bold colors quickly stood out through his push beyond tags with imagery of comic book superheroes. This skyrocketed his work to fame in the 1980s. Seen began to show across the United States through solo shows and group exhibitions with artists such as Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Kelly Risk Graval is widely revered as ‘The Godfather of West Coast Graffiti.’ Risk’s graffiti tag is reflective of his painting style. He is known as the first artist to set the benchmark for ‘Going to the Heavens’ or painting highly dangerous yet extremely visible spots such as overpasses or billboards. Risk has exhibited in major museums including LA MoMa, California Museum of Art, and numerous galleries across Toronto, Paris, and New York. Multi-dimensionally inclined, Risk has collaborated with Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, and the Rolling Stones.

Chris Zidek is a Nashville based street artist, whose work uses complex geometric forms to reference a history of pattern throughout human history. His recognizable murals can be found around Nashville in Midtown and the Gulch.