I am dreXeL. I thought you knew… Art, eating paint, life in Brooklyn. Fear it.

Thursday night was just awesome X 1000.  Everyone was there, lots of amazing artists and art, djs, friends, a secret bottle of limited edition Henny, and lots of Colt 45.  I’m still waiting on some pictures from my friend Tom…of the show and also the aftermath.  Meanwhile I’ve yanked some from friends for your viewing entertainment.  Cheers. XO, dreX

This was the night before: Press night. Above us is the awesome work of AV, 2esae and SKI aka destroy&rebuild.

A nice shot of the Combine before it got insanely packed.

Getting packed now.  Security started sending people away who had been standing in line outside in the rain for an hour or more.

These are my friends:  Ashley and roommate Kevin.  <3 you guys. One of Celso’s women behind them to the left. Hot.

This is a fake dollar bill I put down Ashley’s shirt.  It came from a tall woman(?) at the show with a brown wig wearing a diaper and carrying a fake tv.  Yeah, exactly.

This is Ames, Ashley’s best friend and also MY friend.  He’s awesome.  He’s also responsible for most of the photos in this blog post.

If you want to see the show in a less frenetic environment than opening night, the gallery is open Tues – Sunday 1pm-7pm. Come on by!

So there you go.  More to come…

Technorati Tags: 112 greene street, 2esae, ames gigounas, art, art show, ashley mccullough, avone, celso, destroy&rebuild, drexel, elc, endless love crew, graffiti, kevin bishop, matt siren, nyc, royce bannon, ski, soho, street art, the combine

Posted under current events

Finished the flyer. It’s basically 1000% different than the first version but I like it. And more importantly the person who commissioned it likes it.

Also the event I’m pretty sure is going to be awesome. So if you’re in the Brooklyn/NYC area and this looks interesting to you, come check it out. Click on the flyer and it will take you to the official website for more details.

Posted under current events

This 112 Greene show next week seems to pretty much be the talk of the town.  Lots of photos and blogging and articles about it going on. I found out today that my work (and others’) is on Martha Cooper’s blog.  So I thought I’d share the link with you, and one of the pictures she posted.  Click on the picture to see the original blog post by Martha Cooper.

Definitely come through if you’re anywhere near NYC on March 26th, 6pm-10pm.  The show is at 112 Greene Street, NY, NY. XO, dreXeL

Technorati Tags: 112 greene street, nyc, new york city, soho, art show, combine, ELC, endless love crew, martha cooper, choice royce, royce bannon, street art, group show

Posted under art, current events

I’m really looking forward to my upcoming show.  Here’s the flyer:

Work to Do

I’d love to see you there if you can make it!  It’s gonna be a really good show and a good time.  Lots of talented artists there.  And Afrika Bambaataa with Soul Sonic Force too!  So COME!

XOXO, dreXeL

Technorati Tags: art, art show, artists, drexel, abby goodman, abe lincoln jr., skewville, aiko, acc, all city crew, alone art, anera, avoid pi, avone, bast, ben jackson, bobby hill, buildmore, c. damage, cahbasm, cake, celso, chris brennan, robots will kill, rwk, christopher gordon, dain, deeker, deo, destroy & rebuild, dr, ellis g, hush, jazzmine beaulieu, keely, kenji, kosbe, la2, matt siren, moody, nohj coley, ohm, overconsume, pufferella, royce bannon, ryan frank, ski, smart crew, smells, stikman, thundercut, 2esae, afrika bambaataa, soul sonic force

Posted under art, current events

Thanks to the awesome people at Hulu, I’m able to show the inauguration LIVE right from my blog.  So catch it here in 4 days!!!  And feel free to look around, post comments, give me feedback etc.  I likes feedback.  XO, dreXeL

Technorati Tags: obama, inauguration, new president, hope, change, democracy, hulu, hulu.com

Posted under current events

Ok so I entered a competition on Brooklyn Art Project’s website late last night.  It’s called “Best of 2008″.  So I submitted my favorite painting from this past year.  Or at least one that I liked a lot.  Wasn’t sure which to pick, so I just picked the one I felt challenged me the most during the year. If I win, I get a bitchin Fuji camera that I NEED. And if I place but don’t win, I get a book made of my artwork, which would be AWESOME.

Anyway, if you’d like to vote for me for Best of 2008, just click below!  It will take you straight to my submission.  You might need to sign up, so just do that, takes like a minute. Then just click “Add to Favorites” below my painting.  Thank you!

XO, dreXeL

Technorati Tags: brooklyn art project, brooklynartproject.com, best of 2008, submission, competition, art, painting, mixed media, nyc, chinatown

Posted under current events

I’ve finally decided to not be selfish about the last few “Smack is a Vampire” tshirts I designed that I had here in my apartment.  As long as I have one to wear, I don’t really NEED to have 7 more just in case of some imaginary situation where I’d need to have one for someone.  So I’ve made them available on my online store.

Click the above link or the image below to go to the store and go get you one!

And for those of you who aren’t familiar with these tshirts, they’re limited edition prints, signed with print number and a secret quote from me under the neck line in the back. And they’re really soft!

XO, dreX

Technorati Tags: tshirt, smack is a vampire, etsy, limited edition, artist tee, harlem, nyc, illustration, billie holiday

Posted under current events

Usually I just write about my own life, my art shows and occasionally my friends’ art, but today I feel compelled to write about someone who’s been so much a part of our culture from the 50s till now, that I’d be willing to assert she single-handedly is responsible for the pinup genre of modelling, photography, clothing, as well as alt modelling sites like SG and Gods Girls and a lot of other stuff I’ve probably not even thought of.

Not that there weren’t other women involved in this, but in the 50’s and 60s, posing for photographs with a whip in your hand was extremely…avant garde if not taboo.  Remember back then men and women even slept in different beds on television.  I call them “Ricky and Lucy beds”.

Now fast forward 50-60 years and there’s not ONE of us who hasn’t been touched in some way by the life of Bettie Page, by emulating it in some small way or at least admiring it.  While the women have been sporting the short bangs, polka dotted dresses, leopard cat suits, tight pencil skirts with pumps, and dressing up for fetish clubs, dancing in cages, the men have been right by our sides enjoying every moment of this aesthetic, coming to these same clubs, buying pinup calendars, signed bettie page prints, and helping to keep her influence on our culture alive all these years.

Bettie Page is everywhere we look in popular culture.  Currently Masuimi Max is, in my opinion, THE superstar of the classic pinup genre.  And understandably so.  She’s gorgeous,  She’s also the spokesperson and a primary model for Pinupgirlclothing.com.  If you want to know where to go to keep the memory of Bettie Page alive in your own fashion, THAT is the site to go to.

Her life was tragic, and its end no less so.  We’ll miss you. XOXO, dreXeL

Technorati Tags: bettie page, pinup, sg, suicide girls, gods girls, pinupgirlclothing.com, masuimi max

Posted under current events, pop culture

Ok, so I’ve finally gotten it together.  A bit.  Last night’s Closing Party for the Younity “Heart & Soul” book launch and exhibition was fantastic, as expected.  Lots of amazing people, amazing talent, good music, breakdancing and good times.  And the venue itself is amazing too.  Thanks to Alphabeta for hosting Younity’s show and helping make it the success that it was.

Since I was so lame and didn’t upload pics from opening night when it happened, I’m doing it all now in one giant fun-filled post.  Happy memories for those of us who were there, and appropriate jealousy from those who weren’t.  You definitely missed something special.

So here’s the story in picture form:

My contribution to the exhibition and book:

Opening Night: A little bit of the crazy crowd that just got larger and crazier as the night progressed:

Opening Night: The amazing, talented, wonderful founders of the Younity Collective, and my good friends, Alice Mizrachi and Toofly:

Opening NIght: Papparazzi photos.  Or possibly MTV.  There were so many we didn’t even know which way to look.  That’s why in some shots we’re all looking in different directions!

Closing Party…friends with fingers:

Some breakdancing entertainment for the last night of the exhibition.  I could have watched them all night.  I don’t know how they don’t break and dislocate…things.

So that’s what happened, that’s what I was fortunate to be part of…and that’s what you missed if you weren’t there.  I <3 my collective.  I’ve got some Younity-related whispers of upcoming things, but I can’t say until it’s DEFINITE.  But trust me when I say more is coming!  XO, dreXeL

Technorati Tags: younity, younity collective, woman artists, street art, urban art, avant garde art, heart & soul, book launch, exhibition, group show, toofly, alice mizrachi, alphabeta, nyc, brooklyn, greenpoint, avone, 2esae

Posted under art, current events

I know I haven’t even posted pics of the opening yet, because I suck. But I have them here and I WILL be posting them shortly. A LOT has been going on and the opening was a GIANT success. All the books sold out in like 20 minutes, thousands of people in and out, MTV taking photos of us. It was dizzying. The artwork was amazing, the music was perfect, the crowd rocked my socks.

And if you didn’t get to the opening, you now have ONE MORE CHANCE. The closing party is Friday, Nov. 14th, 7-10pm same venue:

Alphabeta
70 Greenpoint Ave.
Brooklyn, NY
(G train to Greenpoint Ave.)

Younity "Heart and Soul" closing party invite

Technorati Tags: younity, artist collective, heart and soul, toofly, alice mizrachi, street art, urban art, woman artists, younity collective, closing party, nyc, brooklyn, greenpoint, alphabeta

Posted under art, current events