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NEO-INDIGENOUS A SOLO EXHIBIT BY VICTOR "MARKA27" QUINONEZ






Marka27 Brings Neo Indigenous to Los Angeles Crewest Gallery - July 7th, 2012, 7-10pm

Victor "MARKA27" Quiñonez brings his critically acclaimed new body of work, Neo Indigenous, to the City of Angels on Saturday, July 7, 2012, from 7-10pm. Hot off the heels of his packed-house New York City premiere, MARKA27 indulges Angelino tastemakers at Crewest Gallery (110 Winston Street, Los Angeles, 90013) with his newest mix-media exhibit. From July 7 - 29 art lovers will journey through the artist’s exploration of binding ancient Aztec, African, and Asian art forms with modern pop culture and street art.

Neo Indigenous celebrates Marka27’s highly-anticipated return to Los Angeles. Representing a shift in the artist’s cultural consciousness, Neo Indigenous embodies Marka27’s quest to bridge past with present, illustrating his yearning to bring deeper meaning to both old and new art forms. By juxtaposing ancient elements with contemporary design aesthetics, Marka27 reveals both a connection and a disjuncture in the process. Challenging viewers to confront the existing practice of commodifying art, the exhibit leaves a lasting impression-- a mark Marka27 has predicated his reputation on.

Using multiple mediums such as paintings, collectible vinyl toys and speakers, silk screen panels, and prints, Neo Indigenous is a sensory feast of the artist’s ability to float seamlessly between varying art forms. As a special treat and tribute to a city he once called home, never-before-seen works will be unveiled and the artist himself will create a live installation piece. Having worked with clients such as Pioneer Electronics, VH1, Disney, Scion, and Kidrobot, Marka27’s LA premiere is the go-to event of the summer!

About Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez:

Born in Juarez, Mexico, and raised in Dallas, Texas, Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez’s foray into the art world began in the city’s streets mastering the art of graffiti. Advancing to earn his BFA from The Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston, MA, Marka27 became a household name for his “audio canvas” series and elaborately executed installation art and murals.

Marka27's artwork has been exhibited in galleries across the United States and showcased alongside artists such as: Futura, David Choe, Ron English and Gary Basemen, and has appeared in lifestyle magazines and books such as Graffiti Planet, Burning New York, I am Plastic Too, and gracing the cover of Flux-Designer Toys. His artwork has sold through the world-renowned Freeman's Auction House.

Now based in New York City, Marka27’s quest for artistic exploration continues. Breaking beyond the canvas’ confines, he created to critical acclaim the MIniGods: Givers of Divine Sound©, a high-end line of designer vinyl toy speakers. His latest body of work, Neo-Indigenous© is a deep look into indigenous ancient aesthetics fused with street art, pop culture, and personal life experience. 

For more info, visit:

    web: marka27.com
    blog: marka27.blogspot.com
    shop: marka27.bigcartel.com
    fb: facebook.com/marka27designs
    tweet: @marka27

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WEB ONE (TC-5)



Born and raised in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, Web came to notice graffiti on the subways in the early 70s. It wasn't until he went to the High School of Art & Design in 1979 that he learned the art and culture of graffiti.

There he met Seen, Doze, Abby, 2Cute, Mr.Wiggles(Rek), Fabel, Lady Pink, Lady Heart, Paze, Ence, Size, Par and others. After being schooled by Quasar3, he began bombing insides in 1980. Somewhere around that time, he met Staf27 and they became partners.

By 1982 Web was doing pieces on the 2s and 5s and then expanded to the BMTs. Late in 1983, he joined a group called ICRY, where he met Doc TC5 and was put down in the 5. From there, it was on. Along with Ebn, Staf27 and Beam, they took over the 3 line. In late ‘85, Web and Doc visited the 1 line and made a major impact. Within that timeframe, he met Yourz (YZ) and did several cars on the BMTs and IRTs. By 1988, Web's subway career ended.

In the last 20+ years, he has continued to paint and be creative, influencing generations thru his work.






Website: www.tcfive.com


Artwork by WEB ONE will be on display March 6th through March 28th, 2010 at Crewest during "Revolutions".

ABBY (TC-5)



ABBY , an alumni of Art & Design High School (NYC ), started her writing career around 1982, motion bombing on bus lines and walls of her native Queens New York neighborhood. It was at Art & Design H.S. where she discovered early female writer 'Heart' AKA Lady Heart, thus giving her the confidence that graffiti was not a "Boys Only" craft. Taking the subway everyday, ABBY became further inspired and
influenced early on by and aware of a bevy of the females rockin’ the Number and Letter Train Lines such as Chick, SS and Pink.

Artists she saw "Up" in her home turf of Jamaica Queens include Cey City and Cer TPA crew who first took her to bomb the E and F trains. Eventually mentors like Mare139, Seen TC5, Web and Doc nurtured and critiqued her work, as she independently developed her piecing style during her high school years.

ABBY was "Up" most often on the A, CC, E, F and sometimes on N, GG, 2 and 5 lines. Her art was prolific in the 80’s Black Book Culture Scene as well as 90’s Wall Art Culture.

In the New Millenium, ABBY performed live painting at the "Meeting of the Styles" event in Chicago and at the "B-Boy Barbeque" in Philadelphia (both in 2005). That year also signified her return to street painting. In 2009 ABBY's work was shown at the "Queenz Arrive" Show at McCaig Welles Gallery in Williamsburg (Brooklyn). In February 2010, her work will be featured in the "TC5 Black History Month Collective" on DirtyPilot.com

In Her Own Words:
Artist's Statement

.."This medium allows me a different place in which to dwell and express my freedom and imagination. As my style has evolved, I’m much less focused on the size and structure of the letter, while taking a more experimental approach to what I do with it..a bit less remains planned ( Traditional Black Book Style) and more about the mood of the
moment...I just began using my old paint colors (that were in storage in NY for 20 years) and that old smell of Krylon is still intoxicating to me in addition to still being great to paint with. Very concentrated. With the new paints I utilize, it’s all about pressure and distance. I can do anything with them yet use less of it to achieve the same intensity in pigment. My style remains based in traditional graff letter structure. I tend not to close my paths and let other paths join in and influence or give emphasis to a line. I’m the free-bird, the butterfly of the crew."




Website: www.tcfive.com


Artwork by Abby will be on display during "Revolutions" on view from March 6th through March 28th, 2010 at Crewest.

TOTEM (TC-5)





Born and raised in the streets of Washington Heights, TOTEM was no stranger to the 1 line which passed right through Broadway. Seeing all the great burners on the 1 line at that time, when graff was graff, he got interested in it real quick.

Since art ran through his blood, he got into graffiti at the age of 11, writing his name on any corner. He really got into art and graffiti once he attended Art & Design High School in 1984. Art & Design was home to a lot of famous writers, especially within TC5. During his high school years, he met a lot of people in the scene: JUICE, DOZE, SEEN, PSYCHO, POKE, and EPS. Over time, he got down with a few crews such as IBM, which came first, then TC5, FC, XMEN, and NTA.

He took a 14 year break to work and raise his son then came back to the graffiti world with a vengeance to keep the game and crew alive…And the rest is history.






Website: www.tcfive.com

Artwork by Totem will be on view March 6th through March 28th, 2010during "Revolutions".


PHADE (TC-5)





Born in East New York, Brooklyn, Phade studied photography at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan, then attended New York City Tech in Brooklyn before completing college at Savannah College of Art and Design with a major in video production. He also studied digital art at Pratt Institute and earned a certificate of Business at Baruch College. He also earned a diploma in Biblical Studies from Antioch School of Urban Ministry.

He has been airbrushing for the entertainment industry for two decades. He opened up 'Shirt Kings', a store in Jamaica, Queens, where he met and serviced many of today's "Hip Hop' moguls such as Jay-Zee, Run-DMC, 50Cent, L.L. Cool J, Queen Latifah, New Edition, Bill Cosby, and most recently Raven Symone of Disney's 'That's So Raven.

He worked as a painter, then as a muralist, for Robert Trump in many Trump-run apartment complexes. He also worked for the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services in Hawthorne, NY running a program and completing a project that culminated in a book he titled 'Permission To Dream', funded by the Westchester Council of the Arts. He joined the ranks of Publicolor in November 2004, fulfilling his dream of working with inner-city youth and painting and leading by example. He is a faithful church member and serves his church manning the mixing board (for music) and mentoring youth.






The history, the fashion and art of Phade can be seen at Crewest during "Revolutions" on view from March 6th through March 28th. Phade is also Crewest's Featured Artist for March and will be knocking everyone out of their socks with a very fashionable installation in the Featured Artist Room.

DOC/ARAB (TC-5)


The Doc you all know, didn't exist until 1984... The journey began in 1977, with KC one. They spent the entire year street bombing and painting handball courts. Then, KC one left to get busy on trains. Doc had no intention of ever painting trains, despite his partner's constant requests. It wasn't until the first week of high school in 1978, when KC showed Doc tags of another writer named Doc 2, from the "J" Line. KC one played Doc against his ego and told him that he would have to write another name if he didn't start hitting trains immediately. Thus began his train odyssey, but to become the artist you know today, Doc partnered up with many artists like Beam one, Web one, Abby one, Magoo 2, Staf 27 and Doze... and it couldn't hurt getting befriended by Dondi.

"My TC5 career started in late 1983. I was so amazed at the work Seen and Doze were doing at the time, and the buzz they had in Art & Design High School, that I actively sought them out. I finally met Doze at Roxy’s Night Club. We quickly hit it off and he put me down early in 1984. Around this time, Seen and Juice had moved to Rhode Island, but by the end of the year they were back and not to happy with the amount of people Doze added to the crew. So all new recruits were kicked out and instructed to meet at Rocksteady Park to state their case. After reviewing my blackbooks and photo album, Seen made me a Vice Prez and allowed me to assemble the squad that rocked the I.R.T's for a decade."

In this modern era, Doc has devoted himself to traveling the globe, mastering letter design and working under the title - Style Scientist Chemist...for obvious reasons.



You can check out artwork by DOC/ARAB at Crewest during "Revolutions" from March 6th through March 28th 2010.






Exclusive limited edition tee designed by Doc TC-5 will be available at the opening on March 6th!

Pre-order requests can be sent to info@crewest.com

Website: www.tcfive.com

REVOLUTIONS EXHIBIT: QUOTE BY PHADE (TC-5)




Picture a slice of New York City history cut out with an x-acto blade and paste with rubber cement smack dab in the middle of a map of downtown LA.

Well on March 6th 2010 that is exactly what's about to take place. Shirt King Phade and the TC5 (TheCool5) will be landing on the runway at downtown LA's Crewest Gallery.

The expectation and magnitude of this show coming together is highly anticipated.

Coming in peace, TC5 will not only show off their skills as stylemasters of a culture which started on NY but also begin to trace the roots of the Hip Hop visual aspect of Graffiti.

Phade a legend on the New York City subway system lends his story showing how the evolution of graffiti from the gritty competitive atmosphere to creating one of the first hand drawn t-shirts and sweat shirt apparel worn by pioneering rappers for their videos, thus enhancing their image and giving Hip Hop a uniform.



TC5 crew boast of a roster of very talented artist from all over the world. TC5 originally birthed in the 70's as The Crazy 5 was given in the mid eighties to Phade and Lil Seen. Phade had his own crew TNT to deal with so lil Seen ran with it, changed the name got new spirit and breathed life into a defunct historical crew.

TC5 still paints all over the world (TC-5.com) some members are today's top designers and work for the likes of Sean John, Akademics, RocaweAr, and more(revokt.com).

Doze an original member of The Roc Steady Crew bboy ensemble is also an original Cool 5 member also Lady Pink, lil Seen, Phade, pop master Fable all attended The High School of Art& Design in NYC at the same time. They all have gone on to become prolific in their respective areas of their craft. Thus completing the cycle of going and being legit and making a difference in a younger generation of graff artist that there is life after trains creating an on going revolution.- Ed Sacasa

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REVOLUTIONS
March 6th - 28th, 2010

Crewest Gallery
110 Winston St.
Los Angeles, CA
90013

213-627-8272 ph
info@crewest.com
www.Crewest.com

REVOLUTIONS:PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Luna George
818.235.4598
luna@crewest.com


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Revolutions
March 6th, 2010 – March 28th, 2010

Los Angeles, CA – Crewest Gallery, in association with Insurgency Inc, is proud to present REVOLUTIONS, on view from March 6th, 2010 to March 28th, 2010.

REVOLUTIONS exposes the history of the graffiti, fashion and cultural revolutions in New York City birthed, nurtured and maintained by The Cool Five otherwise known as TC-5. “New York, during the mid-1980's, was an amazing time for graffiti writers. Trains were crushed, styles were poppin, and TC-5 was one of the main crews at the forefront of the thriving graffiti scene. The crew's roots originate from the early 1970's with The Crazy 5, which was a legendary crew from the Bronx with an impressive roster consisting of BLADE, DEATH, VAMM, TULL 13, CRACHEE, and later AJAX, COMET, SILVER TIPS, and MAZE… After most of the original members of The Crazy 5 had retired, in a somewhat controversial move at the time, COMET granted presidency of TC-5 to a writer from the Bronx named SEEN (or as some called him, Lil' SEEN). SEEN reshaped the crew with some of the freshest writers of his generation such as BEAM, JUICE, DOZE, DOC, LADY PINK, as well as expanding the crew primarily from the Bronx into a true All-City force.” – tcfive.com

The artists in the exhibit are some of the freshest graffiti artists known in the New York Graffiti scene. Together they will illuminate the walls of Crewest Gallery and will present artwork with a cool and creative combination of classic and new school graffiti styles mixed with fine art.

Along with this exhibit, will also be a Fashion show on March 20th, 2010 featuring customized clothing by TC-5 taking place during LA Fashion week. The fashion show will feature custom painted denim and tees designed specifically for REVOLUTIONS. “Imagine a Mickey [Mouse] wearing Air Jordans, leaning on a Moët bottle crowned with a dukey rope chain around his neck, dripping in gold and saying your favorite songs hook.” This was the beginning. This is the future. This is classic hip-hop style. Welcome to the world of Shirt King Phade, one-third of the unrivaled founding fathers’ of cartoon and graffiti inspired airbrushed clothing, The Shirt Kings and member of the legendary TC-5 crew of NYC. Legendary for one of a kind, of-the-moment wearable works of art that adorned t-shirts, jeans, jackets -whatever you could think of – on the backs of everyone from LL Cool J, to Salt-n-Pepa, to Theo Huxtable in the early 80’s, Phade laid THE foundation for the street inspired urban revolution we now call ‘hip-hop fashion.’” - Citizen LA, 2009

Join Crewest for a once in a lifetime chance to see the artists, art and fashion from NYC’s premiere street crew all under one roof for the first time in Los Angeles. The month long event will include live painting, an airbrush installation, a fashion show, memorabilia from the early years of TC-5, live performances and of course the art and artists themselves.

Exhibiting Artists:
Seen, Doze Green, Doc/Arab, Phade, Totem, Abby, Cycle, Lady Pink, Mr. Wiggles, Yourz, Web, Keo, Bom 5, EBN, Sye, Aevon.

Collectors and Press Preview
(by invite only, contact luna@crewest.com)
Friday, March 5th, 2010
6pm to 9pm
Collectors’ Opening for Revolutions with live painting by TC-5 and live DJ

Opening Reception
Saturday, March 6th, 2010
6pm to 9pm
Opening Reception for Revolutions with live painting by TC-5 and book signing for release of the book “Piecebook:Reloaded” published by Prestel featuring many of the Tc-5 members in this exhibition.
Free to the public

Downtown Artwalk
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
6pm to 9pm
With live painting by TC-5’s Aevon and Phade with live music.
Also live radio broadcast via Zero Hour Radio
Free to the public

Fashion Show
Saturday, March 20th, 2010
6pm to 9pm
Fashion show featuring local line painted by TC-5 as well as live painting on t-shirts and live music by The Milky Way and a special set by DJ Computer Jay.

Closing Reception
Saturday, March 27th, 2010
6pm to 9pm
Live painting and surprise guest Dj's (TBA)


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