Gabba Gallery hosts artist Jeremy Novy in presenting his collection of “Queer Visability” stencil art
June 1-22.
Gallery Show opening June 1, 7-11 pm
Murals and street art are tools empowering a neighborhood or specific demographic, be it women, immigrant farmers or Native Americans for example. They use the theory that art is therapy for the viewer. These images truly bring a sense of self and community pride in areas where they exist. But there is one community not broadly represented in that same way, there is so little queer visibility . On the few occasions we are recognized – our murals and street art are defaced with homophobic slurs.
We live in a time when queer rights are once again being taken away and repressed on a global scale. Using art as a political tool is not a new concept. Art has been used by artists and political leaders alike to disseminate messages or control the masses – my images clearly, and directly empower and support the queer community.
Our urban landscapes are filled with images of heterogeneity, at the same time adoption and bathroom rights are at the forefront of lawmakers minds. All the while, we have children killing themselves because they do not feel a part of society. They are being bullied in school and are often discarded by their family. Until there is more representative street art, more informative murals and widespread public exposure – I will continue to work in the illegal street art world, creating my own sense of Queer Visibility to share with ALL. The theory of art as therapy is just one small step in changing the status quo and helping one another as a community – we must be seen. To be recognized – you must be seen.” -Jeremy Novy
About the Artist
Novy’s unique brand of street art is ripe with thoughtful social examinations. He combats the homophobic lack of representation in street art and murals with his celebration of gay iconography, bringing joviality and warmth to disused urban spaces. Novy’s 2011 National Endowment for the Arts grant enabled the curation of the first major exhibition of its kind, “A History of Queer Street Art” in San Francisco . This groundbreaking show next toured to Los Angeles’ Pop Up Gallery, and then was ultimately received with great acclaim at Yale University.
A graduate of the Peck School of the Arts, Novy’s work has been met with critical acclaim across the nation. His work has benefitted non-profit foundations, advocacy organizations and community service programs.
Featured in numerous books, publications, and both public and private art collections, Novy’s stencil work is cogent in its messaging and remarkably complex for it’s compositional simplicity. His most established series – Koi, refers to coded anti-authoritarian symbols embedded in Communist era Chinese art. His pioneering images of drag queens, physique pictorials and pornography bring to life the multiplicity of a truly modern identity, reminding us that we each must walk our streets in collective solidarity.
Gabba Gallery
3126 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90057
(323) 604-4186
NovyPR – Greg Gill (626) 798-7750
