Beyond the streets

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Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has presented contemporary art exhibitions showcasing the work of emerging artists. Exhibitions which drew upon the collection of Charles Saatchi, led to Saatchi Gallery becoming a recognised authority in contemporary art globally. The Gallery acquired a strong reputation for introducing artists who would later gain worldwide recognition. In 2019 Saatchi Gallery became a registered charity and began a new chapter in its history. OUR MISSION As a charity, the organisation seeks to be self-funded and reinvests all revenue into its core activities to support access to contemporary art for all. With every exhibition we’ve put together, I always learn something new, and London is no exception,’ says Gastman. ‘The amount of stories and historical moments – some of which may have been forgotten and arguably unknown until now – are what will make our Saatchi Gallery show such a spectacle. We really hope to educate and inspire through a curious lens that digs into the nooks and crannies of all these subcultures and the massive role London played in bringing them to light on a world stage.’ There’s so much art and paraphernalia to see, no corner of the Saatchi left untouched: glued and stapled to the walls, decorating stairways, displayed in frames, broadcasted on screens, filling hallways and tunnels, collected under glass display cases.

The history of graffiti in New York has been around since the 1960’s, but didn’t heavily influence New York til the late 1970’s when the new art form took a rapid spread throughout the city. This is where the history of tagging graffiti came about, during the 70’s when people began tagging their names and works of art across buildings, streets, and sidewalks. BEYOND THE STREETS is a global, art-driven cultural and educational movement. Celebrating the mark-makers and rule-breakers, the agitators and instigators. It is where graffiti, street art, punk, hip hop, art, fashion, film and activism all find themselves coalescing together. Here, the artists in Beyond the Streets were, are and always will be revolutionaries. As for the release of his sketchbook with BEYOND THE STREETS, the artist shared that “Over the last 20 years I’ve accumulated countless drawings in my drawers that I thought would never see the light of day.” SAATCHI GALLERY PRESENTS UNPRECEDENTED STREET ART EXHIBITION: BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON, WITH OVER 150 OF THE MOST EXCITING INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED ARTISTS OF OUR TIME The story of graffiti and street art can’t be told without highlighting the significant role London, and the UK in general played in revolutionising these cultures and continuing to spread the word of their existence. Pushing the global narrative has always been of importance to us and we’re honoured to continue telling our story at Saatchi Gallery, whose prestige and impact are unmatched in the UK,” says BEYOND THE STREETS Founder Roger Gastman.You will be able to view a wall of Jenny Holzer’s truisms; Henry Chalfant’s photography of NYC train writers in action; together with AIKO’s timeless stencilling of delicate silhouettes and Gordon Matta-Clark’s extraordinary archive of graffiti photography. KASE2 ELKAY photo by Henry-Chalfant The Dream Galleries

The official BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON exhibition catalogue, compiled by Roger Gastman, provides an in-depth look into the world of graffiti and street art’s most iconic figures. This book spans multiple decades and honours the diverse and boundary-pushing stories that helped turn vandalism into contemporary art. Hardbound and 1000+ images. He further explained that “They aren’t finished in many ways, but they do offer a peek into how I first started developing ideas for what would become artwork for tattoos, magazines and even logos. These pen and pencil drawings are raw, very unpolished and definitely not digital like many things are these days. They’re old-school sketches on paper that I’m hyped to see come together and be presented in a way that can celebrate my journey as an artist. It’s not always about being perfect, but rather keeping things loose and fluid to express all the ideas in my head.” Lloyd boldly takes apart the glamorised images of the sex trade encouraged by some. The author challenges the myths and misperceptions around selling sex as well as the contempt for these girls and women by the authorities and the wider public. Along with others engaged in the battle against sexual exploitation, she is determined to change the lexicon around the subject. ‘Prostitution’ denotes an element of choice that does not reflect the limited agency and complex factors that are at play in the majority of cases, especially for minors. Lloyd is at pains to explain the strong emotional, psychological and even financial ties the girls feel towards those who have exploited them and which makes it even harder to leave for good. The story of graffiti and street art can’t be told without highlighting the significant role London, and the UK in general played in revolutionizing these cultures and continuing to spread the word of their existence. Pushing the global narrative has always been of importance to us and we're honored to continue telling our story at Saatchi Gallery, whose prestige and impact are unmatched in the UK,” says BEYOND THE STREETS Founder Roger Gastman. Following successful exhibitions in Los Angeles & New York, BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON will feature new works, large-scale installations, original ephemera and extraordinary fashion that capture the powerful impact of graffiti & street art across the world.Curated by graffiti historian Roger Gastman, BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON will examine the fundamental human need for public self-expression, highlighting artists with roots in graffiti and street art whose work has evolved into highly disciplined studio practices, alongside important cultural figures inspired by this art scene. With the generous support of all our patrons, for each major exhibition, there are opportunities for students and community groups to engage in creative projects and workshops. Visit saatchigallery.com/learning or call +44 (0) 20 7811 3087 for more details. BEYOND THE STREETS is important because it documents a cultural past, pre-social media, where ideas and movements developed on the streets, in clubs, and in bedrooms. It also crosses over to the current day, highlighting a new generation of artists who have crafted their trade from the streets rather than the lecture theatre. I’ll be showing six sculptures and four paintings. Graffiti styles are so flowy because there isn’t friction between the tool (spray can) and the wall, as opposed to calligraphy, which is a very controlled form of writing. The sculptures I’m presenting try to capture that frictionless energy, made possible by designing the 3D models in virtual reality. The paintings are also a new body of work. Each one of them has 3,600 hand-painted pixels that render high saturation and ultra-dynamic images. The exhibition will feature new works, large-scale installations, original ephemera and extraordinary fashion that capture the powerful impact of graffiti & street art across the world and follows successful exhibitions in Los Angeles & New York. Graffiti historian Roger Gastman will curate BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON.

After several years of thinking about how we should reprint this book—it finally happened. We worked with old CDs of images, Quark files that would not open, and other technical issues of computers past to rebuild FREIGHT TRAIN GRAFFITI the way we always imagined it could be while staying true to the original era covered and including another 500-plus images,” shares Roger Gastman. The closing chapters consist of ‘Social Commentary: Graffiti as a message’; ‘Art with Conscience’ containing works by hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy, and; ‘Consideration Into Innovation’ showcasing Lisbon-based artist, VHILS, who innovatively utilizes repurposed materials to reimagine city walls. In the final chapter ‘The Next Phase’ visitors will engage with new op-art works by Valencia based artist Felipe Pantone, whose high-contrast, geometric patterns continue to challenge perspective resulting in a distinctive aesthetic of the digital age. The ‘ Dream Galleries’ chapter focuses on a selection of American and European originators, photo documentarians and cultural icons who helped contextualize and spread graffiti culture around the world. InAndré Saraiva’s Dreamseries, there is a visual articulation of how graffiti, street art, hip-hop, punk, fashion and break-dancing all sprung from the late 1970s and early 1980s into the 90s and today, and became a hybrid celebration of underground culture. BEYOND THE STREETS LONDON will open at Saatchi Gallery with over 100 international artists this February. The exhibition supported by adidas Originals, will be the most comprehensive graffiti & street art exhibition to open in the UK ever taking over all three floors of the gallery. No area of Saatchi Gallery will be left untouched; visitors will be immersed by works and ephemera on view across hallways, tunnels and staircases and will enter rooms exploring the birth of graffiti like never seen before. These spaces will showcase a wall of Jenny Holzer’s truisms; Henry Chalfant’s photography of NYC train writers in action; together with AIKO’s timeless stenciling of delicate silhouettes and Gordon Matta-Clark’s extraordinary archive of graffiti photography.In the final chapter ‘ The Next Phase’you will be able to engage with new op-art works by Felipe Pantone. With new special commissions, the exhibition – supported by adidas Originals, marks the first time in eight years a show has taken over the entirety of Saatchi Gallery, spanning an immense 70,000 sq ft. Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has provided an innovative platform for contemporary art. Exhibitions have presented works by largely unseen young artists, or by international artists whose work has been rarely or never exhibited in the UK. This approach has made the Gallery one of the most recognised names in contemporary art. Since moving to its current 70,000 square feet space in the Duke of York’s Headquarters in Chelsea, London, the Gallery has welcomed over 10 million visitors. The Gallery hosts thousands of school visits annually and has over 6 million followers on social media. In 2019 Saatchi Gallery became a charity, beginning a new chapter in its history. www.saatchigallery.com Each of the exhibition’s chapters will explore exceptional moments in the history of this artistic movement; including the emergence of punk; the birth of hip-hop – marking its 50th anniversary in 2023; and street culture’s strong influence in fashion and film. I’m not sure if it’s important to be a successful gallery artist, but graffiti and the streets are certainly a part of me and will be forever. Most of my friends are graffiti writers, most people that work at my studio are writers and, even though I’m very busy doing other things now, I’m very much connected to graffiti culture.