In the beginning, there was Futura.

That’s kind of how this expansive space feels with no people in it.  It is a universe created by a post-graffiti graffiti godfather who has freed his own imagination to search for new planets of influence, new centers of intelligence.  Many of the New York graffiti artists who made names on trains in the 1970s and early 80s found a track to transition to the future, whether through evolving their style or reprising it again and again. When you look at the influence of 20^th century fine art abstraction as it has matured on the Street Art scene of the last decade, this cat may have begun in this retro-future, and we’re now just catching up to him.

Futura (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Thirty years after he took his work into the gallery from the trainyards, Futura reminds us of the greater possibilities of aerosol as a tool for expression, exploration. The power of the works as presented is cosmic; explosive, exploratory, often serene. Fire and lava formations, oceans, suns, patterned reflections and free nebulous images as captured by powerful telescopes as they float above us. While his hand is freestyle and almost impulsive, Futura can be as selectively deliberate as he is uncontrolled. Viewed in this wide open and darkened gallery galaxy, the space-age illumination gives the works a feeling of astronomy, with each canvas a floating body in the cosmos, clearly viewed from your own porthole.  But it’s clear who the north star is.

Futura (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Futura (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Futura. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Futura. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Futura (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Futura (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Futura (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Futura (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Futura. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Futura (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Futura. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Futura. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Futura (photo © Jaime Rojo)

FUTURA – “Future-Shock”, is at the Andy Valmorbida Pop-Up in Tribeca.

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