A visionary journey through the heart of Los Angeles
LOS
ANGELES, May 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BEYOND THE
STREETS is pleased to announce What Was, What Is,
What Could Be, the first-ever solo exhibition from
Los Angeles based-artist
Gustavo Zermeño Jr. What Was, What Is, What Could
Be offers a profound exploration of the city's myriad
landscapes and communities, as envisioned through Zermeño's
aspirational and immersive mural-inspired landscapes. It is a
narrative journey through the heart of Los Angeles, as told by one of its most
passionate storytellers.
Zermeño Jr. transcends his iconic mural work to present a
collection of paintings that pay homage to various Los Angeles landmarks—locations he has long
aspired to transform through his art. Each work serves as a vibrant
snapshot of LA's diverse ecosystems, pacing between a harmonious
blend of dreams and reality. His work is a manifestation of his
presence within these landscapes, providing a unique lens through
which he shares his personal narrative and connection with the
city.
About the show, Gustavo Zermeño Jr. shares, "Los Angeles has always been my home, but it
wasn't until I started painting murals that I truly forged a bond
with the city. My art has opened so many doors, each revealing
itself as a hidden gem abundant with culture and beauty. Immersing
myself for weeks in these neighborhoods has allowed me to
intimately connect with and feel the unique energy of the many
communities within LA, each a source of inspiration that
continually shapes my identity as an artist."
The exhibition is a testament to Zermeño's innovative approach
to art, where the act of mural painting becomes a dynamic
conversation with the city and its inhabitants. This dialogue is
not only a means of artistic expression but also a method for
Zermeño to weave himself into the fabric of Los Angeles' diverse neighborhoods. Through
his process, he gains a deeper understanding and appreciation of
the communities' unique identities and stories, further enriching
his art and allowing audiences to see Los
Angeles through a distinctly intimate perspective. It
invites viewers to traverse the city and spirit of its communities,
celebrating LA's complex beauty, resilience, and the unifying power
of art to reflect and shape an understanding of place and
identity.
The opening reception for What Was, What Is, What Could
Be will take place on Friday, May
3, 2024 from 6PM to 9PM PST,
with the show running through June 15,
2024.
About Gustavo Zermeño Jr.
Gustavo Zermeño Jr. mixed his love for community and art by first
offering to paint murals on local businesses around his home in
Venice, California. Soon his
larger-than-life portraits of sports heroes, celebrities and iconic
musicians, done in acrylic and aerosol, peered at passersby from
walls far beyond his neighborhood. This led to collaborations with
the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Rams, UCLA and Nike, among others, while working with
nonprofits and underserved populations to uplift and inspire the
next generation of artists. Zermeño has been featured in local and
national media and created a social media buzz with his
hyper-realistic painted cutouts, left in unlikely places—a practice
he loved for its surprise factor. His body of work has grown to
include sculptures and stylized portraits on canvas and paper. He
continues to be inspired by Los
Angeles, its sports culture, music, and the landscape
itself.
www.gzjr.org
About BEYOND THE STREETS
BEYOND THE STREETS was
founded by Roger Gastman, producer
of the 2010 Academy Award-nominated film, Exit Through the Gift
Shop, co-curator of Art in the Streets (2011) at the MoCA in
Los Angeles, and director of the
SHOWTIME documentary Rolling Like Thunder (2021), a plunge into the
underground world of freight train graffiti culture. BEYOND THE
STREETS is an art-driven cultural and educational worldwide
movement celebrating mark makers and rule breakers, agitators and
instigators. Its curation showcases the best of contemporary and
emerging artists, with a focus on graffiti and street art creators.
Boasting over 100 artist collaborators per show, BEYOND THE STREETS
is known for its massive-scale exhibitions, immersive educational
experiences, and engaging pop-up events, which have played host to
over 650,000 unique visitors between its shows in Los Angeles, New
York, The Hamptons, London,
Shanghai, and digital showcases
with NTWRK. BEYOND THE STREETS exhibitions have produced over
2.5B media impressions through global
art publications, business journals and culture magazines. BEYOND
THE STREETS is widely recognized for its innovative brand
partnerships and premium publications, which include over 75
published and authored book titles, including works for the likes
of Martha Cooper, Felipe Pantone, POSE, Paul Insect, and Mister
CARTOON, amongst others. BEYOND THE STREETS pushes the very idea of
art beyond any preconceived boundary.
www.beyondthestreets.com
Media Contact:
Heidi Johnson
377023@email4pr.com
323-207246
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