The Superchief Gallery had it’s first opening, “As High As Yo’ Chest, As Wide As the Ocean” on July 11. Tons of homies and fam showed up in their various interpretations of “dress fancy,” as well as about 150 other people, and we had a great time. We are grateful to everyone who came and supported us as well as our first artists, Freebase and Lofty, as we took our first giant step on this new adventure.
“As High As Yo Chest, As Wide As The Ocean” is Superchief Gallery’s debut exhibition, featuring the paintings of Lofty 305 and Freebase. The two Miami-based artists are essential members of the critically acclaimed art and music collective, ‘Metro Zu.’
Metro Zu has created a large body of visual pieces, often serving as an accompaniment to their music and their unique brand of droney, “space alien” inspired stoner rap, which has been gaining notoriety since the group’s performance/installation at Miami Art Basel 2010 & 2011. Their recent album release in the Spring of 2012, “Mink Rug”, has received an ubiquitously positive response on websites such as Vice and Fader.
Since their arrival in New York this past April, the artists have been given mentorship and studio space by Pierre Bernard Francillion, long-time assistant/muse to the late, Jean-Michele Basquiat. Francillion is also the go-to for art restoration for much 1980s pop art, having restored the larger works of icons such as Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf. His artistic contributions are evident in the exhibition, doing as he once did for Basquiat, sourcing materials and sharing the deep magic of his Hatian nobility.
This exhibition is a collaborative effort between Lofty 305 and Freebase: Brightly colored, abstract paintings and installations in a style influenced by the pop New York street art of a bygone era that is still evolving to this day, while maintaining the crisp Vice City, Miami “pink and aqua” neon color palette with a heavy Krink hand. Their figural work calls to mind the bizarre ephemeral nuclear circumstances of Miami that could create a posh gang in a world of mutants with eyes that open like buckshot wounds.
Our photographer friend, Emma Levy was on hand and took this GQ-esque photos below (There’s also photos by other people):
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