German street art duo Herakut (Hera + Akut) open their first US solo, Streichelzoo ("petting zoo" in German), this Saturday April 12th, 2008 (8 PM – Midnight) @ the Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art. We were fortunate enough to be able to check out the ongoing installation and chat with both artists about their process of creating their gallery art (more pics after the ‘jump’).
Hera and Akut approach gallery shows in a unique way born of their
desire to transform the space rather than having the formal setting
compromise their work. Rather than create paintings ahead of time, they inhabit the gallery working on site to create nearly almost all the work. The site specific body of work becomes one sprawling installation of street art featuring pieces on paper, canvas, and cardboard along with drips and splashes of paint as backdrop. Hera explained that this is the only way they know how to esnure the ‘proper scale’ and authenticity of their work. Hera and Akut have been painting at the gallery for a week (since last Thursday) and are starting to put the finishing touches on the pieces.
Hera and Akut work in an intensely collaborative manner, with each artist taking unscripted yet natural turns on pieces. They work on multiple pieces at a time, one on one piece and the other on yet another and then switch as needed. The work blends Akut’s stunning photo realistic spray paint pieces with Hera’s strong line work. While their subject matter varies widely, Hera often paints women as amputees and Akut continually works dogs into his work as a result of his observation that "Street artists are dogs. They leave their shit everywhere."
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Herakut’s approach is that it enables the artists to let ideas flow from their surroundings into their art. For instance, one curious passerby continually remarked "I Love this Shit" and he’s now promimently featured in a large piece with his mantra scrawled on his shirt. In a more subtle reference, the gallery’s neighbor is a furniture store whose employees often pass time playing chess — the Knight chess piece serves as a reminder of their peripheral influence on the week spent creating the work.
Merging the free flowing nature of street art with the formality of the gallery scene is not an easy task. Herakut’s approach has yielded very impressive and authentic results. Be sure to RSVP for the guest-list only opening reception this Saturday (4.12) by sending email to rsvp[at]carmichaelgallery[dot]com.
Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art
1257 N. La Brea Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 9003
323.969.0600
