I have to admit that I have been hesitant to say what I think of Neck Face (Read Guardian interview here). So, far, I have not been his biggest fan. I am not quite sure I get people's fascination with the graffitti artist turned gallery artist. I am not so sure this guy is the heir apparent to Basquiat, but you can make your own determination. Just because I don't understand him, doesn't mean that he is no good.
This from Protein:
"The enigma of Neck Face has intrigued many in the States, now in his first visit to the UK, the dpmhi gallery stages an exhibition of his twisted work. Please see the attached press release for details."His scrawls on the streets of his hometown of San Francisco and elsewhere in New York and LA, have led the 20-year-old Neck Face to be described as the 'the new face of urban blight'. A disembodied hairy arm with a clawed hand is his central motif, while his other works are populated with the likes of vampires, horned fiends and even Satan himself. Grim statements such as 'Crack Pipe For Sale' and 'Retards Ain't Special' often accompany his shakily drawn pictures, displaying his dark sense of humour.
"Neck Face is a mysterious figure who has no clear stylistic predecessor and shuns connections with the graffiti scene. As well as a growing underground buzz, he has also attracted attention in mainstream press such as The New Yorker and and The San Francisco Bay Guardian but, despite this fame, has only put on a handful of exhibitions so far. When not bombing the streets of American cities, Neck Face works in a variety of media, for example, engraving his characters on salvaged metal and using it to sculpt masks."
Update: Here is a link to the Neck Face exhibition in London at the dpmhi.
Posted by Paul Hina at May 24, 2005 09:31 AM