Angel ‘LA II’ Ortiz, The Great Collaborator at D’Stassi Art, East London, May 2024 – Well it certainly felt like an event, it was certainly busy, we were there unfashionably early and it was already starting to kick, there was already lines outside, the door staff were busy, the list was long, it felt like it was going to get messy later on but then there was that Aurora to go hunt and a band or two to see and other places to be, Tummyache over at the Old Blue Last, no time to hang around, the party was just starting when we left the show curated by Angel Ortiz and featuring fellow street Art legends (so it said on the press release) Stik, Shepard Fairey, Mr. Doodle and Mark Kostabi – are they all bona fide legends? That could be up for debate. It did look like it could be a rather tasty show event later on, it was already a tastry show in terms of what was on the walls and certainly tasty in terms of a small bit of Street Art/graff history. Can’t remember when I first saw that angel tag, probably via Martha Cooper, or maybe in some New York hip hop video or a hardcore punk zine, those band photos always in front of walls in 80’s zines certainly informed. I was kind of hoping to see more on that angel tag, alas there’s only one, but then isn’t that old news? No, there’s more to be done with that angel surely?
“D’Stassi Art will open the doors of their flagship gallery in Shoreditch, London for a major new Angel ‘LA II’ Ortiz exhibition. The Great Collaborator will bring together some of the most renowned names in street art; Stik, Shepard Fairey, Mr.Doodle, and Mark Kostabi, all working collaboratively with the legendary Angel ‘LA II’ Ortiz. The Great Collaboratorwill also feature a series of rare collaboration artworks between Angel and the late Richard Hambleton, made before Hambleton’s death in 2017. The exhibition is set to be a truly unique experience, as these giants of Urban art come together. The featured artists are; Angel LA II Ortiz and STIK, Richard Hambleton, Shepard Fairey, Mr Doodle and Mark Kostabi, all collaborations with Angel”. We were promised more than thirty artworks ranging from original canvas to prints and works on paper..
It isn’t clear if these are new or recent works, the Hambleton collaborations are obviously pre 2017 (I guss they could have been worked on post his passing but they don’t feel like that) , the Shepard Fairey pieces look a little fresher, pretty sure we saw that Stik piece a number of years ago? Did we? Could be wrong, could be right? No putting a hot-wire to my head and where does LAII (aka Angel Ortiz) start and Keith Haring end anyway?
“The Great Collaborator showcases Angel’s significant contributions to the art world and his profound influence on other major artists. Angel rose to prominence in the New York art scene in the 1980’s through his almost decade-long partnership with Keith Haring. Haring spotted Angel’s tag shortly after moving to New York and sought out the then teenaged artist. After meeting, the pair combined their signature styles on paintings, sculptures and clothing taking them across the world”.
You might say things do look very Haring in here but then some would argue that LAII hasn’t ever really got the credit he deserves from the art establishment and it really looks more Angel Ortiz in here and that Ortiz’s contributions to Haring’s work, including his trademark graffiti infill squiggles, have “notably been obscured by the art establishment”, something that has prompted Ortiz’s supporters to regularly ask for credit to be given. The squiggles are everywhere, who influenced who is up for debate, wasn’t everyone feeding off everyone back there, isn’t that what graff and street artists do? We could name a number of “respected” London-based urban artists making a living out of being little more than mini Basquiats. No, this feels like a room full LAII trademarks
“D’Stassi Art is dedicated to honouring Angel’s artistic legacy and celebrating the magic he brings to collaborative works. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to witness first hand the impact LAII has had on the next generation of artists, and discover the inspiration behind his iconic style that has captivated audiences for over four decades” although you might argue that those marks are rather natural, rather instinctive, marks that have been made for thousands of years, marks that have roots in many cultures, marks that come naturally, flow positively, without too much thought, who knows who did what or where? Does rather appear that a bit more credit is due…
What we have tonight, is a packed gallery, suitably loud DJs, hip hop (there’s one of the Mekamorphis robot crew doing battle with the NY DJ in his basketball top), it isn’t quite one of those legendary graff shows of the New York 70’s, that statement Tony Shafrazi Gallery show that a then teenage Ortiz was part of alongside the likes of Basquiat and where Angel and Haring collaborated very publicly, it does feel like a bit of an event though, maybe a little too slick for my tastes but hey, I do detest an over-polished gallery floor, give me backstreet scuzz and grit everytime (I fell out of love with StolenSpace once they did up the floor and the pale instantly lost that vibe it had)
The art itself tonight might be a little bit of a throwback, old school you might politely say, there’s only one Stik, the Mr Doodle pieces are pretty much a homage, the Shephard Fairey pieces are as beautifully coloured as always (and I am a sucker for his pop art, his graphics, his design), I did want more of that angel tag and I did kind of want a bit more now alongside it rather than just a repeating then, surely everything needs to evolve? Or does it? Did anyone every want anything more than the first couple of Ramones albums? It does feel mostly about old school history in here, wonder what Angel is going to do next? Does he want to challenge himself? Don’t artists need to? Is there more to come (say he who was just moaning that there was on one angel tag to be seen) or is it all about the Hey ho, let’s go? The then rather than the now? Good show though, a slice of history, time to get out of here, I kind of enjoyed it, we enjoyed swapping tales about that Capital Hip Hop Jam, enjoyed the art, it felt like a heathy slice of history, we watched LAII signing people’s trainers, we bumped into a familiar face or two. Reall does seem like a little more credit is due somewhere, but then that would mean the establishment having to pay a living artist wouldn’t it.
In a 1992 biography on Haring’s life, Haring stated “We just immediately hit it off. It’s as if we’d known each other all our lives. He’s like my little brother.” Kenny Scharf, artist and friend of Haring’s, recalled “Keith treated him as a true collaborator; he didn’t treat him like some little kid, which he actually was, really. He respected him and gave him half of whatever they collaborated on.” Ortiz confirmed that he was paid for his work during Haring’s lifetime. However, Ortiz stopped receiving payment from Haring’s estate following his death. According to scholar Ricardo Montez, the Haring Foundation has “since made strides to rectify LA2’s erasure.” (Wikipedia)
D’Stassi Art is found at 12 – 18 Hoxton Street (Entrance on Drysdale St), Hoxton, London, N1 6NG. The show runs until 24th May 2024, Although when the space is actually open is anyone’s guess, I did go back for another look on the Saturday after the opening, they said they were open and well, no sign of life. Maybe Blue the giant dog knows? (sw)
Angel ‘LA II’ Ortiz, The Great Collaborator at D’Stassi Art, East London, May 2024 – Well it certainly felt like an event, it was certainly busy, we were there unfashionably early and it was already starting to kick, there was already lines outside, the door staff were busy, the list was long, it felt like it was going to get messy later on but then there was that Aurora to go hunt and a band or two to see and other places to be, Tummyache over at the Old Blue Last, no time to hang around, the party was just starting when we left the show curated by Angel Ortiz and featuring fellow street Art legends (so it said on the press release) Stik, Shepard Fairey, Mr. Doodle and Mark Kostabi – are they all bona fide legends? That could be up for debate. It did look like it could be a rather tasty show event later on, it was already a tastry show in terms of what was on the walls and certainly tasty in terms of a small bit of Street Art/graff history. Can’t remember when I first saw that angel tag, probably via Martha Cooper, or maybe in some New York hip hop video or a hardcore punk zine, those band photos always in front of walls in 80’s zines certainly informed. I was kind of hoping to see more on that angel tag, alas there’s only one, but then isn’t that old news? No, there’s more to be done with that angel surely?
“D’Stassi Art will open the doors of their flagship gallery in Shoreditch, London for a major new Angel ‘LA II’ Ortiz exhibition. The Great Collaborator will bring together some of the most renowned names in street art; Stik, Shepard Fairey, Mr.Doodle, and Mark Kostabi, all working collaboratively with the legendary Angel ‘LA II’ Ortiz. The Great Collaboratorwill also feature a series of rare collaboration artworks between Angel and the late Richard Hambleton, made before Hambleton’s death in 2017. The exhibition is set to be a truly unique experience, as these giants of Urban art come together. The featured artists are; Angel LA II Ortiz and STIK, Richard Hambleton, Shepard Fairey, Mr Doodle and Mark Kostabi, all collaborations with Angel”. We were promised more than thirty artworks ranging from original canvas to prints and works on paper..
It isn’t clear if these are new or recent works, the Hambleton collaborations are obviously pre 2017 (I guss they could have been worked on post his passing but they don’t feel like that) , the Shepard Fairey pieces look a little fresher, pretty sure we saw that Stik piece a number of years ago? Did we? Could be wrong, could be right? No putting a hot-wire to my head and where does LAII (aka Angel Ortiz) start and Keith Haring end anyway?
“The Great Collaborator showcases Angel’s significant contributions to the art world and his profound influence on other major artists. Angel rose to prominence in the New York art scene in the 1980’s through his almost decade-long partnership with Keith Haring. Haring spotted Angel’s tag shortly after moving to New York and sought out the then teenaged artist. After meeting, the pair combined their signature styles on paintings, sculptures and clothing taking them across the world”.
You might say things do look very Haring in here but then some would argue that LAII hasn’t ever really got the credit he deserves from the art establishment and it really looks more Angel Ortiz in here and that Ortiz’s contributions to Haring’s work, including his trademark graffiti infill squiggles, have “notably been obscured by the art establishment”, something that has prompted Ortiz’s supporters to regularly ask for credit to be given. The squiggles are everywhere, who influenced who is up for debate, wasn’t everyone feeding off everyone back there, isn’t that what graff and street artists do? We could name a number of “respected” London-based urban artists making a living out of being little more than mini Basquiats. No, this feels like a room full LAII trademarks
“D’Stassi Art is dedicated to honouring Angel’s artistic legacy and celebrating the magic he brings to collaborative works. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to witness first hand the impact LAII has had on the next generation of artists, and discover the inspiration behind his iconic style that has captivated audiences for over four decades” although you might argue that those marks are rather natural, rather instinctive, marks that have been made for thousands of years, marks that have roots in many cultures, marks that come naturally, flow positively, without too much thought, who knows who did what or where? Does rather appear that a bit more credit is due…
What we have tonight, is a packed gallery, suitably loud DJs, hip hop (there’s one of the Mekamorphis robot crew doing battle with the NY DJ in his basketball top), it isn’t quite one of those legendary graff shows of the New York 70’s, that statement Tony Shafrazi Gallery show that a then teenage Ortiz was part of alongside the likes of Basquiat and where Angel and Haring collaborated very publicly, it does feel like a bit of an event though, maybe a little too slick for my tastes but hey, I do detest an over-polished gallery floor, give me backstreet scuzz and grit everytime (I fell out of love with StolenSpace once they did up the floor and the pale instantly lost that vibe it had)
The art itself tonight might be a little bit of a throwback, old school you might politely say, there’s only one Stik, the Mr Doodle pieces are pretty much a homage, the Shephard Fairey pieces are as beautifully coloured as always (and I am a sucker for his pop art, his graphics, his design), I did want more of that angel tag and I did kind of want a bit more now alongside it rather than just a repeating then, surely everything needs to evolve? Or does it? Did anyone every want anything more than the first couple of Ramones albums? It does feel mostly about old school history in here, wonder what Angel is going to do next? Does he want to challenge himself? Don’t artists need to? Is there more to come (say he who was just moaning that there was on one angel tag to be seen) or is it all about the Hey ho, let’s go? The then rather than the now? Good show though, a slice of history, time to get out of here, I kind of enjoyed it, we enjoyed swapping tales about that Capital Hip Hop Jam, enjoyed the art, it felt like a heathy slice of history, we watched LAII signing people’s trainers, we bumped into a familiar face or two. Reall does seem like a little more credit is due somewhere, but then that would mean the establishment having to pay a living artist wouldn’t it.
In a 1992 biography on Haring’s life, Haring stated “We just immediately hit it off. It’s as if we’d known each other all our lives. He’s like my little brother.” Kenny Scharf, artist and friend of Haring’s, recalled “Keith treated him as a true collaborator; he didn’t treat him like some little kid, which he actually was, really. He respected him and gave him half of whatever they collaborated on.” Ortiz confirmed that he was paid for his work during Haring’s lifetime. However, Ortiz stopped receiving payment from Haring’s estate following his death. According to scholar Ricardo Montez, the Haring Foundation has “since made strides to rectify LA2’s erasure.” (Wikipedia)
D’Stassi Art is found at 12 – 18 Hoxton Street (Entrance on Drysdale St), Hoxton, London, N1 6NG. The show runs until 24th May 2024, Although when the space is actually open is anyone’s guess, I did go back for another look on the Saturday after the opening, they said they were open and well, no sign of life. Maybe Blue the giant dog knows? (sw)