#amuse 126

AMUSE 126

OPTIMIST.

1AM Gallery, MTN Colors, and artists RPES, PEMEX, and AMUSE 126 have come together for their latest exhibit CMYK. If you're in the Bay Area I highly recommend checking this show out. From 1AM Gallery:

1AM Gallery is pleased to present, “MY”, showcasing brand new works by graffiti artists RPES, PEMEX, and AMUSE 126. The demand for colors in today’s art market is substantial, with shades ranging infinitely along the color wheel. CMYK aims to contrast this freedom of colors and experiment with simplified styles and techniques. CMYK was selected among the many color options because it is a universal color pallet. For this exhibit, each artist will create one piece where they use only a single color. This simplification will not only reflect the relationship each person has with that one color, but it will also showcase their unique artistic style. If anything, CMYK emphasizes that colors are not solely accessories for art, but fundamental building blocks to promote an artist’s message.

RPES was born in the south of France in 1987. He along with four of his friends discovered graffiti in the early 2000’s whilst visiting the city of Toulouse, France. Captivated by the letters and the art’s forbidden aspects, himself and the others decided to join this culture of Graffiti. In 2004, DSEK, IWOK, BAR, SHREK and RPES started the PMB crew. Nearly a decade later the PMB crew has delighted us with their profound specialty and has left their mark throughout Europe and two other continents. Eventually, RPES wanted to travel beyond Europe and landed in the Bay Area. He fell in love with the city and decided to stay. For the past 3 years, RPES lives, works and paints in the Bay Area and a few other cities in the US. He is also the co-founder of the clothing line “BROY”. is style has matured within the last 5 years as he has become more serious with his work and refined his graffiti style.

In the world of graffiti and massive urban murals, PEMEX is a hard name to overlook. He’s paid plenty of dues getting his hands dirty and raised through the ranks to be one of the most renowned graffiti artists putting up work all throughout California and abroad. It wasn’t an easy road getting there. Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, it would have been easy to fall victim to the environment that raised him, to follow the same disastrous path that so many others did. But PEMEX is no ordinary person. He was able to do what few other were, to process his experience and channel it to grow strong and resilient, self-capable and fearless. His street work is savage and unrelenting, stylish and possessing in it a humor and history unique to the artist himself.

Amuse 126 refers to his approach of letter application as a “very strong, old recipe formula” of graffiti. “It covers the bases of a well-crafted, traditional piece, but with bits of ‘special effects’ and ‘eye candy’,” he says. “I always intend to keep fun in mind, hoping the viewer will embrace what they see and take away some form of visual happiness.”

Last week, Chicago-based street artist Amuse 126 stopped by Threadless HQ after hours to put up the newest mural in our warehouse!

amuse 126