UNCONTAINABLE | Urban Art from Vandalism to Movement Exhibition
Continuous-time Markov by Juan Travieso
June 9 – September 9, 2017
Please note: Due to extenuating circumstances pertaining the approach of Hurricane Irma The Thomas Center Galleries will be closed Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.
The roots of urban art can be traced to late 20th century graffiti – the stealth ‘writing’ and tagging on buildings and train cars documented in Philadelphia and New York. The early stage of the movement represented a kind of adolescent anarchy and was considered as blight and prosecuted as vandalism. Illegal graffiti nonetheless had its admirers – and a hierarchy of accomplishment elevated some of the “writers” as early heroes of the movement.
The artwork on exhibit in UNCONTAINABLE includes work by Brian Adam Douglas, a large-scale woodcut panel by Swoon, a rendition of the renowned Bowery Wall stencil piece by Logan Hicks, early silk screen work by Shepard Fairey, a large canvas by Axel Void, as well as work by Retna, Revok, Invader, Os Gemeos, Etam Cru, How & Nosm and others. Never-before-exhibited work by Michael Reeder and Juan Travieso will debut.
UNCONTAINABLE is curated by Anne E. Gilroy, Curator of the Thomas Center Galleries, and Craig O’Neil, founder of the National Institute for Urban Art (NIUA). In addition to the NIUA collection, work from the collections of Logan Hicks and Robert Meltser are featured. Both the Main and Mezzanine Galleries are part of the expansive exhibit. The work in UNCONTAINABLE shines a new light on Gainesville’s 352walls/Urban Art Initiative offering both history and context to the evolving downtown project.
The Thomas Center is located at 302 NE Sixth Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturday 1-4 p.m. The galleries are closed for observed holidays. The public is welcome to this free exhibition.
