May 20, 2009
The tour is in El Paso from 3:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday and 4-9 p.m. Sunday at 1949 W. Paisano. There will also be a live mural painting after the show on 1600 Delta, roller derby girls ushering in guests and a porta john painting.
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Dave “Grave” Herrera knows that it’s like to be, in his words, “criminalized from the get-go.” The very nature of his medium for his work -- graffiti art -- lends itself to the negative connotations that have accrued over the past decades. “We get thrown into a pot of gangsters and cholos,” he said. But he pointed out that the cultural taboo surrounding graffiti shifted long ago; now, high-end brands such as Juicy Couture and L.A.M.B draw inspiration from its calligraphy and the vibrant wall art being in vogue in Japan’s upscale galleries.
That calligraphy, he says, has a foundation in El Paso, a place where muralists and graffiti artists have been given their own open studio at the Silo Aerosol Art Space. The area located by the Rescue Mission is meant to do for graffiti artists what skate parks did for skaters: offer an outlet for local talent. “It’s not getting tapped into,” said Herrera.
A couple of years ago, the Silo Aerosol Art Space was opened, offering a place for graffiti artists to practice and showcase their art. Now, amidst a boom of aerosol art that is appealing internationally to both underground and high-end art afficionados, the space will host "Pieced Together," a traveling tour of Texas graffiti art work that puts El Paso in the company of New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. El Paso is the only location that will host the event in conjunction with a benefit. In lieu of a cover charge, potential art viewers are to bring coffee, coffee mugs, and all things coffee-related to donate to the Rescue Mission.
Giving credit where it’s due
After garnering positive feedback last year after its initial showing in Austin, curator Nate Nordstrom decided to take the tour showcasing Texas graffiti art ito galleries around the country. “Texas [graffiti art] has a mixture of styles, it’s really neither West Coast or East Coast,” said the show’s Nordstrom, an Austinite whose work also appears in the show. The tour features work from established artists in each major city in the state. “I think Texas is long overdue. I don’t think it got its time to shine,” said Nordstrom.
Differentiating East Coast art as “more traditional – what you see on subway trains,” and West Coast as a derivative that took it to new heights, Nordstrom said, “Like any other art form, you’re going to have regional styles.”
Along with El Paso’s convenient placement on I-10, Nordstrom cited Herrera as a key reason for the city’s appearance on the tour. “You have to give credit where it’s due. I didn’t start until 1990, and I already knew about Grave.”
For the Texas artists who were selected by Nordstrom based on their talent and influence in the graffiti art world, the tour gives them the opportunity to network with artists around the country. Herrera’s interpretation of the title “Pieced Together” refers to the piecing together of Texas artists with the work of the locals. Nordstrom has his theory for the good reception the work has received nationwide: “What makes Texas so strong in the graffiti art world is that it doesn’t matter what’s hot or the latest trend; we have our own style.”
Here is Herrera talking about his own style:
Despite the “no amateurs” credo of the show, the work itself will be a departure for some of the artists, with pieces using acrylics, stenciling, and media they may not use ordinarily. “A lot of them have really started to blossom in other areas,” said Nordstrom.
Giving back
Herrera calls the El Paso event “his baby” when discussing the benefit that will accompany the art show.
While championing the right of self-expression, he also sees the show as an opportunity to share resources with the organization that shares its space. “Let’s use our art work to catapult that effort,” said Herrera.
He made deliberate choices to have the event accumulate coffee supplies for people who were trying to kick their habits at the Rescue Mission. He also stated in the event fliers that it will be an alcohol and drug free event. “It’s a no-brainer because these are alcohol and drug addicts, but they’re good people,” said Herrera.
The event will include 4 DJs and live music, much like a “live art” phenomenon that Herrera has witnessed among artists such as Moby and in venues across the country.
Herrera hopes the event will help those at the Rescue Mission as well as the artists who are still lumped into the criminal category. He is optimistic: “We can use our God-given talent to help others.”
Aerosol Artist Caleb Aero painting live art for a charity event in California