Ned Vena

This exhibition presents new paintings and works on paper, in the formats of landscape and portrait. The paintings contain images of tattoos, the painter’s own, made using his iPhone. The tattoos are the work of other artists. The painter must take images of them from his own skin to produce imagery for his paintings. The tattoos are highly graphic and thus make for images useful to painting. In some instances the identifiable traits of human skin, such as hair follicles or skin tone, become less apparent. The painter works with painting and photoshop in tandem, eyeballing areas which can be painted and developing images to print over them simultaneously. The resulting surface presents a soaked, smudgy and crumbled palimpsest of images taken from the painter’s body. The images are pseudo- selfies, straddling concepts of self portraiture and appropriation. Regarding the landscape works on paper; They are produced by street vendors in times square, NYC, and purchased by the painter. For further information I will refer to a previous exhibition’s press text description: "The paintings on view depict the Manhattan skyline, reflected in the eye of Spiderman, in various stages of its existence since the World Trade Centers were finished in lower Manhattan in 1973. These images are printed onto the canvas from digital files made from scans of spray-painted drawings purchased from street merchants, catering to tourists, operating primarily around Times Square. These merchants produce the paintings using spray paint and sell them at a bargain. Their presence in the area is in line with the touters of three-card monte, bucket drummers, rappers hawking mixtapes, and the many other enterprising hustlers that have defined the neighborhood by setting up shop on the busy sidewalks for decades. These drawings are prepared on site and the customer is asked to choose which Manhattan they would like depicted, new or old, to be reflected like a mirror, in the glassy eye of a character from a fantasy. There is a sufficient quotient of magic and speed in the production of these images, making it an efficient street-level hustle. The artists work quickly, using shitty materials to produce effects that develop on the surface of the work like an apparition. Most transactions are done in cash, though some vendors now use Square and so have the capability to accept payment by card." The landscapes presented in Los Angeles mostly do not include the motif of Spiderman. Nevertheless, the description is applicable. The painter has had the drawings professionally framed. Presented by 6817 Melrose & Société Berlin

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6817 Melrose Ave

La, NY