BLAST is thrilled to announce this show of bold paintings by two New Jersey artists.
Dennis Young is best known professionally as the marimba/percussionist for the legendary early 80s NYC band Liquid Liquid. This band had a major impact on hip-hop and dance music. Best known for their song Cavern which was sampled for the Grandmaster Flash mega-hit White Lines."
Dennis is a self-taught musician who started playing drums at an early age. His passion for music led to an exploration of other instruments that include marimba, percussion, keyboards, guitar, and vocals. He composes his own music that combines influences from rock, jazz, dance, folk, and world music. Since his days with Liquid Liquid, Dennis has released a number of solo releases, and has added his signature percussion to a number of recordings.
Over the past several years, Dennis has been moved to paint. There is a strong relationship between the music and the art that Dennis creates. Both rely heavily on spontaneity, rhythm, and texture. His work draws inspiration from a wide range of painters from Picasso and Van Gogh to Jackson Pollack and Jasper Johns. The paintings in this show also reflect an affinity for folk art. Images of tribal masks and abstract patterns collide in this body of work. These paintings seem to be connected to an ancient past of native tribes and cultures that exist in Denniss imagination.
Andrew Riss grew up in a suburban town in Long Island, NY. Andrews first contact with art, as something that living people made, was on a trip to the Art Students League in New York City, where he began taking figure drawing classes. Immediately the teacher told Andrew he didn't know what he was doing, which luckily, Andrew took as a compliment.
Andrew went on to study painting at the Hartford Art School, where he became enamored by expressionist painters like Francesco Clemente, Phillip Guston, and Anselm Kiefer. Since graduationg in 1991, Riss has worked as an artist, running his own on-air graphics company, while maintaining his interest in exploring painting. For Andrew, making art is about un-learning many of the things we believe we know as adults.
Riss describes what hes exploring in his current body of work, I have always been both interested and confused by the concept of the body as a vessel. Thats why I like to play with the idea of head as funnel or loud speaker. These paintings of heads, headphones, horns and speakers are figurative, while retaining a quasi-primitive/comic appearance. Theres an emotional rawness to these mysterious captivating paintings.
Art From the Edge will be showing at BLAST September 1026, 2011.
There will be an opening reception September 10. 69 pm.
About Blast
By offering selections of art and other retail items that cant be found in any other store in Teaneck or the surrounding NJ towns, BLAST is the place to satisfy ones urban, outsider, independent creative fix.
With art shows that change monthly, and a wide variety of specially curated merchandise, there is always a reason to pop into BLAST.
BLAST looks to host multidimensional artists that embody an original independent aesthetic, regardless of whether or not the work would normally be considered high art.
Shows scheduled for 2011 include musicians Jad Fair, Daniel Johnston, and DEVOs Mark Mothesbaugh, tattoo artist JK5, comic book artist John Porcelino, and more.
BLAST also hosts happenings such as movie nights, wine tastings, and musical performances.
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