NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Sep 10, 2015) - It may be unusual for a luxury hotel in midtown Manhattan to embrace the creative inspiration of international street artists, but the Quin is not a typical luxury hotel. Instead, this quintessential New York property has quickly built a reputation for compelling art programming that boldly complements its refined ambiance. The Quin recently announced that its fall exhibition schedule will launch on September 17th with an artist salon featuring acclaimed French street artist SP38 making his New York City debut. SP38 will feature his iconic text-based works, artfully deconstructing the 20-foot walls of the hotel, as well as providing a special presentation of his work in the field on the video art wall.
SP38 is a French street artist, painter, and performer who has been based in Berlin for the past 20 years. He papers the walls of his city, and many others across the globe, with what he calls "urban poetry." Painting quickly and repetitively, he reproduces the same motifs and texts on posters in order to paste them in various locations. The work is not identical, however, and includes tiny imperfections by design, reinforcing the handmade nature of the work.
SP38 mixes silk-printing and painting techniques applied on posters. His words are juxtaposed with symbols such as golden rabbits or blue planes that multiply on his posters as patterns. He has said he imagines that these could even be in the style of wallpaper in children's bedrooms. Coming from a tradition of the Lettrist movement or of the "Affichistes" artists such as Jacques Villéglé or Raymond Hains who created their own alphabets, SP38 created his own typography. Adding a limited range of four colors and simplified images to his letters as a graphic trademark, SP38 makes statements about serious matters very casually. "ESCAPE," "OCCUPY," "MADE IN DREAM," "SLAVES," "VIVE LA CRISE," "VIVE LA BOURGEOISIE," "NO PROPAGANDA," "I DON'T WANT TO BE U'RE FRIEND ON FACE-BOOK," amongst others, are woven into the urban landscape. The freshly printed aspect of his posters echoes the subjects of slogans that are right of-the-moment.
As with artists like Jenny Holzer, whose main focus is to spread words or ideas in the public or urban space, SP38 maintains that, "Art must be outside," although he is fond of, in gallery shows, "bringing the outside in." His provocative and lighthearted slogans, his humor -- fraught with irony and sarcasm -- enable him to incite radical thinking without aggression. He wants to trigger a reaction, a reflection, and potentially some involvement. He wriggles out of his provocation without annoying the viewer. Lightheartedness makes the catchy and lapidary slogans act as catalysts for a spirited debate, free from hostility.
The artist salon featuring SP38 at the Quin, located at 57th Street and Sixth Avenue, is scheduled from 6:00pm - 8:00pm on Thursday, September 17th. The ESCAPE (Legalize Freedom) exhibition will be on view to the public in the Quin's lobby through mid-October. Information on pre-show sales is available by emailing DKJ@concllc.com. Reservations information and further information on Quin Arts is available at www.thequinhotel.com
About The Quin
The Quin, New York City's quintessential luxury lifestyle hotel, is located on the corner of 57th Street and 6th Avenue. At the intersection of art, music, and fashion, its privileged Midtown location provides effortless access to Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Museum of Modern Art and Fifth Avenue couture. The Quin melds modern opulence with its rich artistic heritage in each of its 208 thoughtfully appointed guestrooms including 28 suites. Guests enjoy urbane and intelligent services, from the Attaché, who curate a guest's New York experience, to distinguished amenities including a state-of-the-art Technogym fitness center, Apple equipped drawing room, Dux® beds by Duxiana®, Fresh® Spa Products and a two-story, 130-seat artisanal American seafood grill, The Wayfarer, showcasing a menu of fresh regional seafood. Renowned architecture and interior design firm, Perkins Eastman, has transposed a contemporary masterpiece on the classical foundation that was once home to cultural icons like pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski and artist Georgia O'Keeffe. http://www.theQuinhotel.com
About Quin Arts
Quin Arts brings a global community of artists, patrons, and guests together through an ongoing series of culturally significant events, exhibitions, and performances. This multi-media initiative extends to a substantial permanent collection, along with an artist-in-residence program, digital displays on the lobby's 15-foot abstract video art wall, and intimate salons with participating artists. Curated and co-founded by DK Johnston, previous exhibits include Creative Chaos, a vibrant collection of new large-scale paintings by Corno, an exclusive preview of Eric Zener's land series, which was exhibited at Gallery Henoch, and Heritage -- a collection of iconic photography from Burt Glinn, Erich Hartmann, Dennis Stock, and Elliott Erwitt, presented in partnership with Magnum Photos. Blek le Rat, the "Father of stencil graffiti," created a series of unique lithographs, collectively entitled Escaping Paris, at the New York Academy of Art for the Quin during his tenure as artist in residence. The Quin's permanent collection also includes Blek le Rat's "Love America" on the 14th floor and loaned works the "Great Wedding," located in the Penthouse," as well as original work from YZ, Wulf Von Treu, "the German Basquiat," and Patrick Graham, plus 15 new pieces from Bristol-based street artist, Nick Walker. Quin Arts has garnered critical acclaim in publications ranging from Forbes to Conde Nast Traveler and Harper's Bazaar Art and was nominated for the "Most Creative Collaboration" Award at LE Miami.
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