JERSEY CITY, NJ (February 10, 2017) — Jonathan LeVine Projects is pleased to present Welcome to New Jersey, the gallery’s inaugural exhibition in Jersey City featuring works by the following artists:
Adam Wallacavage, AJ Fosik, Alessandro Gallo, Alex Diamond, Andy Kehoe, Ashley Wood, Augustine Kofie, Beth Cavener, Camille Rose Garcia, Carlos Ramirez, Chloe Early, Cryptik, Dan Witz, Diego Gravinese, Dylan Egon, Eloy Morales, Erik Jones, EVOL, Gary Taxali, Handiedan, Haroshi, Hush, Jeff Soto, Jeremy Geddes, Jim Houser, Joel Rea, John Jacobsmeyer, Josh Agle (Shag), Kazuki Takamatsu, Mab Graves, Martin Wittfooth, Mary Iverson, Matt Leines, Matthew Grabelsky, Michael Reeder, Miss Van, Nychos, Ron English, Shepard Fairey & Tara McPherson.
Upon its inception in 2005, Jonathan LeVine Gallery became an essential venue for Street Art (ephemeral work placed in public urban environments) and Pop Surrealism (work influenced by illustration, comic book art and pop culture imagery). Embarking on a new journey, the goal of Jonathan LeVine Projects is to expand upon its extensive twelve-year history while remaining true to the mission of bringing avant-garde art with a unique counter-culture point of view to the forefront.
Welcome to New Jersey is a comprehensive preview of the internationally-based, multidisciplinary artists the gallery will present to Jersey City though exhibitions, mural projects and special programs. With a newfound focus on collaboration and developing interesting partnerships, Jonathan LeVine Projects aims to go beyond the white cube gallery model and become a thriving creative center within Mana Contemporary, as well as the community at large.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Adam Wallacavage was born in 1969 and is currently based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1995, he received a BFA in photography from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. In 2012, he had a solo exhibition at the Philadelphia Art Alliance titled Shiny Monsters. His works have been featured in publications such as The New York Times, New York Magazine and TIME Magazine. Wallacavage is also an accomplished photographer and in 2006 Gingko Press published Monster Size Monsters, which documents fifteen years of his photography.
AJ Fosik was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and is currently based in Portland, Oregon. In 2003, he received a BFA in illustration from Parsons School of Design in New York City. Fosik’s work has been exhibited in galleries across the country including New York, Philadelphia, Miami and San Francisco. He’s been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Brooklyn Rail and Tokion. In 2011, Fosik was commissioned by the band Mastodon to create artwork for the cover of their album, The Hunter.
Alessandro Gallo was born in 1974 in Genoa, Italy and is currently based in Helena, Montana. After studying Law at the University of Genoa, Gallo took a foundation course at Saint Martin’s College of Art in London followed by a BA at Chelsea School of Art, graduating in 2002. Gallo and his anthropomorphic sculptures have received widespread popularity in Europe, with his works being featured in the 237th Annual Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the 54th Venice Biennale in 2011. In 2012, he received a first place grant from the Virginia A. Groot Foundation.
Alex Diamond was initiated as a pseudonym for an art project by Hamburg-based artist Jörg Heikhaus in 2004 and has become his permanent name as an artist. Born in Cologne, Germany, the majority of his work consists of his distinctive and highly detailed sculptural woodcuts, blended with diverse painting and pigmenting styles. In 2002, he founded heliumcowboy gallery in Hamburg.
Andy Kehoe was born in 1978 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he’s currently based. In 2003, he received a BFA in illustration from Parsons School of Design in New York. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries and museums across the country including Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Chicago and Portland.
Ashley Wood was born in 1971 and is currently based in Perth, Australia. He’s an award winning illustrator who got his start in the international comic book world before breaking into the U.S. market, working for companies such as Marvel and DC. Wood is highly regarded for his fine art work in a variety of mediums, including oil and acrylic painting and sculpture.
Augustine Kofie was born in 1973 in Los Angeles, California, where he is currently based. Merging his traditional graffiti education with his deep love of illustration and architectural renderings, Kofie plays with form, line, balance and depth, twisting and manipulating his compositions into a new and dramatic form of abstraction. His street art is internationally recognized and he’s exhibited his works in galleries across the United States, as well as in France, Mexico, Morocco and Tokyo.
Beth Cavener was born in 1972 in Pasadena, California and is currently based in Helena, Montana. She received a BA in sculpture from Haverford College in Pennsylvania. By using animals as her subjects, Cavener attempts to lay bare the darker aspects of humanity, from carnality and self-loathing to insecurity and apathy. She extracts her figures from solid blocks of clay, every gestural passage the result of her own physical labor, and then slices them into small sections, hollowing and reworking each in order to heighten its sense of life and internal energy.
Camille Rose Garcia was born in 1970 in Los Angeles, California and is currently based in the Pacific Northwest. Her paintings are critical commentaries on the failures of capitalist utopias, blending nostalgic pop references with a satirical slant on modern society. Creative influences include Phillip K. Dick, William Burroughs, Henry Darger, and Walt Disney. In 2007, the San Jose Museum of Art exhibited a mid-career survey of her work entitled Tragic Kingdom: The Art of Camille Rose Garcia. Her work is included in the permanent collection of the San Jose Museum of Art and the Los Angeles Museum of Art.
Carlos Ramirez was born in 1967 in Indio, California and is currently based in Coachella, California. His paintings and sculptures often speak of the inequalities within Mexican American communities and champion the common man as underdog. His work often includes found materials materials, including stickers, bottle caps and discarded packaging. Snakes, scorpions, and other natural elements from his hometown appear mixed in with Chatolic symbolism, aliens and commercial imagery, giving brand logos and religious icons the same attention and placement.
Chloe Early was born in 1980 in Cork, Ireland and is currently based in London. In 2003 she graduated from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. Early’s paintings seamlessly merge figuration and abstraction, painting bodies among clusters of images, such as planes, birds, and carnival rides, causing the representational elements to dissolve into painterly swaths of colors. Her works have been exhibited in Dublin, Los Angeles, London and New York
Cryptik is currently based in Los Angeles, California and received a BFA from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena in 2003. He creates works of art that explore the realm of spirituality and consciousness. His iconic depictions of deities and spiritual leaders, along with his signature style of calligraphy, can be seen throughout Los Angeles, adorning the urban landscape, and have been exhibited throughout the Unites States.
Dan Witz was born in 1957 in Chicago, Illinois and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He attended the Rhode Island School of Design from 1975-77 and came to New York in 1978 to attend Cooper Union, receiving a BFA in 1980. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (New York) and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Witz has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post and ARTINFO. In 2010, Gingko Press released In Plain View, a monograph documenting 30 years of Witz’s work created in the studio and on the street.
Diego gravinese was born in 1971 in La Plata, Argentina and is currently based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He creates large-scale, photo-realistic oil paintings where viewers are free to complete the narrative with their own imagination. His work has been exhibited in New York, Paris, Madrid, Turin, Buenos Aires, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Dylan Egon was born in 1966 in New York City and is currently based in Jersey City, New Jersey. He studied Anthropology and Archeology at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama and later studied Film at City Tech University in New York. Egon works in a variety of mediums and often uses objects from his vast personal collection as focal points in his work. In 2015, his work was featured in a Chanel Beauty editorial in NO TOFU Magazine.
Eloy Morales was born in 1973 in Madrid, Spain, where he is currently based. His works have been exhibited in France, Mexico, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom and are included in the Howard A. and Judith Tullman Collection, one of the largest collections of realist art.
Erik Jones was born in 1982 in St. Petersburg, Florida and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He received a bachelor’s degree from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2007. His work has been exhibited in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Rome and London.
EVOL was born in 1972 in Heilbronn, Germany and is currently based in Berlin. In 2000, he received a degree in product design from HFG Schwäbisch in Berlin. In 2010, he was nominated for the Premio Lissone Prize at Museo d’arte Contemporanea in Lissone, Italy and won the Arte Prize at Slick Art Fair in Paris, France. In 2011, his work was exhibited at the Moscow Biennale. He has been featured in publications such as BBC, The Independent, Interview Magazine and Paper Magazine.
Gary Taxali was born in Chandigarh, India and raised in Toronto, Canada, where he is currently based. In 1991, he graduated from Ontario College of Art and Design University. His work has been exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York) and the Contemporary Art Museum (Rome). In 2011, two books of his work were released: Mono Taxali, published by 279 Editions, and I Love You, OK?, published by teNeues. In 2012, The Royal Canadian Mint released a special edition of six 25¢ coins which feature Taxali’s artwork and typography.
Handiedan was born in 1981 and is currently based in Amsterdam. She’s exhibited at galleries around the work, including New York, Los Angeles, London, Australia and Rome. She’s participated in many mural projects, such as RMP in Virginia, Wall\Therapy in New York and One Wall with Urban Nation in Berlin.
Haroshi was born in 1978 in Tokyo, Japan, where he is currently based. With no formal art training he adapted the determined perseverance, freedom of expression and DIY ethos of skate culture to create works of art made from skateboard decks. In 2011, commissioned by NIKE CEO Mark Parker, Haroshi re-created a pair of SB Dunk sneakers made from decks used by several NIKE pro-skaters.
Hush was born in 1976 in Newcastle, England and graduated from Newcastle School of Art & Design with a degree in design and illustration. He’s exhibited in San Francisco, London, Los Angeles and Switzerland. The Independent recognized him on their list of Top 20 Up and Coming Artists and in 2010 he exhibited at the Portsmouth Museum of Art (New Hampshire).
Jeff Soto was born in 1975 in Fullerton, California and is currently based in Riverside, California. In 2002, he graduated with distinction from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. In 2008, his work was the subject of a solo exhibition at the Riverside Art Museum titled Turning in Circles. His work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the United States and Europe. Soto has been featured in numerous publications and published two monographs: Potato Stamp Dreams in 2005 and Storm Clouds in 2008.
Jeremy Geddes was born in 1974 in Wellington, New Zealand and is currently based in Melbourne, Australia. He studied painting at The University of Melbourne, Victorian College of the Arts, receiving a BFA in 1995 and an MFA in 1997.
Jim Houser was born in 1973 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he is currently based. He is a self-taught artist and an honorary member of the Philly-based artist collective Space1026. In 2005, Gingko Press released a monograph entitled Babel: Jim Houser. In 2010, he released a vinyl record of instrumental music composed to accompany his installations; the songs are currently available on iTunes. His works have been exhibited at the Laguna Art Museum and is included in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Joel Rea was born in England in 1983 and moved to Australia as a young child, where he is currently based. In 2003, he graduated from Queensland College of Art with a BFA and has since exhibited his oil paintings throughout Australia and the United States. In 2013, Art Business News featured Rea as one of thirty artists under the age of thirty who are revolutionizing the world of fine arts. In 2014, he was selected as a finalist for the Sulman Prize held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, as well as the Black Swan Award for Portraiture for the second year in a row.
John Jacobsmeyer was born in 1964 in Ann Arbor, Michigan and in currently based in New York City. He received a BFA from the University of New Hampshire and an MFA in painting and printmaking from Yale University. He teaches printmaking, painting and art theory at the New York Academy of Art’s Graduate School. Awards include two fellowships from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, the Basil Alkazzi Award, a Pollack-Krasner Grant and a New York Foundation for the Arts Artist Fellowship. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art (New Mexico) and the Springfield Museum of Art (Ohio).
Josh Agle (Shag) was born in 1962 and is currently based in Los Angeles, California. He’s had numerous solo exhibitions in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia. His work has been featured in museums such as the Laguna Art Museum (California), The Andy Warhol Museum (Pennsylvania) and the Naples Museum of Contemporary Art (Italy). Agle’s exhibitions have been reviewed by The New York Times’ critics Ken Johnson and Roberta Smith. His artwork has been published in several books, been the subject of a documentary film and a staged musical.
Kazuki Takamatsu was born in 1978 in Sendai, Miyagi. In 2001, he graduated from Tohoku University of Art & Design. Takamatsu’s haunting imagery explores narratives of death through a unique technique in which classic mediums, such as drawing, airbrush and gouache painting, are combined with computer graphics.
Mab Graves is an illustrator and painter currently based in a converted 1800’s tavern in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her work is inspired by fairy tales and classic literature and has been shown in galleries around the world. In 2013, Dover Publishing released her first book of paper dolls.
Martin Wittfooth was born in 1981 in Canada and is currently based in New York. Wittfooth received his MFA from The School of Visual Arts and has exhibited extensively in galleries and museums throughout North America and Europe. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including cover features for New American Paintings, Hi-Fructose and American Artist.
Mary Iverson is currently based in Seattle, Washington. In 1995, she graduated magna cum laude from Cornish College of the Arts and received an MFA in painting from the University of Washington in 2002. She’s a tenured faculty member at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon where she teaches painting and drawing. Her works inspire an environmental dialogue by superimposing stacks of shipping containers onto images of pristine landscapes, serving up a post-apocalyptic vision of the potential outcome of our global economy. Every summer, Mary travels to several parks, camping and experiencing the location while she takes photographs and gathers sketches for new paintings.
Matt Leines was born in Totowa, New Jersey and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He earned a degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States, as well as in Athens and Tokyo.
Matthew Grabelsky was born in Los Angeles, California. In 2002, he graduated from Rice University with a BA in art and art history and a BS in astrophysics. His work juxtaposes the physical world around him with imagery from mythology, dreams and fairytales.
Miss Van was born in 1973 in Toulouse, France. She began painting walls at the age of 20 and is now considered one of the best known painters of the graffiti scene, initiating the feminine street art movement. Drago Press has published two monographs of her work: Wild at Heart (2012) and Twinkies (2011).
Nychos was born in Austria in 1982 and is currently based in Vienna. He began creating street art at the age of fifteen and established Rabbit Eye Movement (REM) in 2004, an art concept that transformed into a gallery space and agency dedicated to connecting networks of artists. His work has been exhibited in galleries worldwide, including Detroit, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Singapore, Turin and Zurich.
Ron English was born in 1959 in Chicago, IllinoisGallery, the Houses of Westminster, Lords Cricket Ground, Sony and Warner Bros. In 2008, Hale was commissioned to paint the portrait of Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. and is currently based in Beacon, New York. He coined the term “POPaganda” to describe his trademark fusion of high and low imagery, mixing superheroes and comic strips with art history iconography in his prolific paintings, billboards, and sculptures. English has imagined a vast roster of characters and is best known for combining expert draftsmanship with a cynical, humorous critique of American culture.
Shepard Fairey was born in 1970 in Charleston, South Carolina and is currently based in Los Angeles, California. He received a BA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1991. Fairey designed the iconic “Hope” graphic of Barack Obama used during the 2007-2008 presidential campaign, which was acquired by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery the following year. In 2009, a mid-career survey of Fairey’s work was the subject of his first major museum exhibition at The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. Fairey’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego.
Tara McPherson was born in 1976 in San Francisco, California and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. In 2001, she received her BFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA with honors in illustration and a minor in fine art. She’s created editorial illustrations for Warner Brothers, HarperCollins and NIKE. In 2006, Dark Horse published Lonely Heart, the first printed collection of her work. Her second monograph, Lost Constellations, was released in 2009 and her third, Bunny in the Moon, in 2012, both published by Dark Horse.
Tristan Eaton was born in 1978 in Los Angeles, California and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of eighteen he designed his first toy for Fisher Price and became an icon in the designer toys world. His works have been exhibited at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City and are part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
