October 13 - November 3, 2018
Tetralogy
Opening: Saturday October 13th 7-11pm
Print signing event: October 13th 1-4pm
JIM POLLOCK | AJ MASTHAY | JERMAINE ROGERS | JOEY FELDMAN
Gabba Gallery invites you to the opening of Tetralogy, four simultaneous solo exhibitions by four superstars of the contemporary poster art world: Jim Pollock, AJ Masthay, Jermaine Rogers, and Joey Feldman. Collectively these artists have created posters for many of America’s most iconic musical acts including Phish, The Grateful Dead, Black Sabbath, Neil Young, David Bowie, Queens of the Stoneage, Foo Fighters, The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Pearl Jam, Primus, and The Pixies. Their work has been highly influential in the resurgence of the gigposter art form and their original art and limited-edition prints are highly sought after by collectors worldwide.
Pollock, Masthay, Rogers, and Feldman will convene at Gabba Gallery in Los Angeles, each showcasing his own individual collection. Expect to see original fine art, screen prints, test prints, gig posters, art toys, doodled and defaced prints, and other rare treasures from the artists’ personal archives. For Tetralogy each artist created a portrait of one of the other artists in the show. Curated by Jason Ostro and Elena Jacobson.
The opening night reception will take place Saturday, October 13 from 7-11pm. The event is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. DJ Jonathan Williams spinning. Tacos by Norma. Bar sponsored by Humboldt Distillery and Auspicion Wine. Limited free parking behind 3125 Beverly Blvd. (enter off Dillon) or street parking but Uber/Lyft encouraged. Gabba Gallery is located at 3126 Beverly Blvd.
There will also be an artist meet and greet and print signing event on October 13th from 1-4pm. This will take place in the Gabba Salon (adjacent to the main gallery). Please review our line procedures here.
Pollock, Masthay, and Feldman will be at the opening and print signing. Due to unforeseen conflicts, Jermaine Rogers will be unable to attend.
All four shows will be on view through November 3. After the opening, normal gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 12-3pm or by appointment.
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/165487857459717/
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
JIM POLLOCK
Show title: A Portrait of the Artist
Jim Pollock has been creating art for himself, the music industry, and causes near to his heart for over 30 years. He helped the gig poster resurgence in the late 90s & early 2000s with his trademark (and largely, underrepresented) lino-cut style which involves zero electricity and printing each poster by hand. His iconic imagery has become synonymous with the band Phish; for whom he has created art since the 1980s when they attended Goddard college in Vermont. Since then, Jim has helped raise thousands of dollars for their charity; The Waterwheel Foundation.
Jim has also designed for Ben & Jerry's, Burton, Magic Hat, Celestial Seasonings, HeadCount, Primus, Disco Biscuits, Umphrey's McGee, and many other bands.
His current focus in his newly opened Pittsburgh studio involves more than just ink on paper and he hopes to take his creativity to new genres and new heights.
AJ MASTHAY
Show Title: Flocked - Biological and Botanical Graphic Works
“Priding myself on being as much of a craftsman as an artist, I create my concert art or “gig prints” using the medium of reduction block printing, also known as “Suicide Prints”. In an industry where digital design is considered best practice, my hand carved linoleum block prints have a visual quality which instantly set my work apart from my colleagues. What many would consider posters, I’ve always treated as fine art, bringing materials and techniques traditionally reserved for a gallery setting into the concert arena.
My work is heavily influenced by nature, developed through a deep love of life drawing and the figure. The graphic elements of my work are derived from vintage sign painters of the early 1900’s with a touch of 60’s pin striping. My intention is to engage the viewer both by creating a narrative in the subject matter and also through the use of dynamic compositions. Commissions will often include specific references based around the band, city or venue, further connecting with the viewer.
I feel it is the blending of these traditional techniques with my love of live music which has made me one of today’s most prominent figures in the rock art industry.”
Born in 1975, AJ Masthay has lived in Connecticut his entire life. He attended the Hartford Art School where he majored in printmaking with an art history minor, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1997. Masthay established his own letterpress studio in 2001 and is currently based out of Hartford, CT.
Clients include The Grateful Dead, Black Sabbath, Dead and Company, Foo Fighters, South Park, Queens of the Stone Age, The Jerry Garcia Estate, Widespread Panic, Umphrey’s McGee and many more.
Outside of the studio, AJ enjoys time with his wife Kara and two Labrador retrievers (Dexter and Halley) in their West Hartford, CT home. Other interests include treasure hunting at the local flea markets and all things natural history related including an extensive osteology (skull) collection.
JERMAINE ROGERS
Show Title: My Name is Nobody
Jermaine Rogers is an artist and designer who first achieved wide notoriety in the field of modern ‘rock art’, also known as ‘gigposter’ art, as well as serigraph and fine art production. Rogers began his career in Houston, Texas as a member of the 1990s Texas poster-art and street art scene. Since 1995, Rogers has created posters and artwork for a wide variety of musical acts, including Queens of The Stone Age, David Bowie, Tool, Neil Young, Deftones, Radiohead, The Cure, Public Enemy, Nine Inch Nails, Run The Jewels, Foo Fighters, and many others.
His work is viewed as influential in the modern resurgence of the ‘gigposter’ art form, continuously crafting images that push boundaries, whether social, cultural, or aesthetic.
Rogers is also a recognized force in the ‘designer vinyl’ art scene, which involves the creation of limited edition ‘art toys’. These meticulously crafted vinyl & resin figures are fanatically sought after by contemporary ‘pop art’ collectors in recent years. Rogers has enjoyed award-winning releases in the genre, and has additionally released fiberglass and bronze sculptures of his creations.
The artist’s work is cataloged among the permanent collections of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio as well as the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington.
His prints, paintings and ‘designer vinyl’ figures and sculpture are collected worldwide, and have been featured in various books, periodicals, and feature / documentary films.
JOEY FELDMAN
Show Title: ISO ; DIBS
Mixed-media artist Joey Feldman works in Los Angeles, California. Feldman’s works are figurative with a frenetic, cartoonish style at their core. With line art applied to its fullest extent, Feldman’s initial, fast-sketched lines play a role in the final piece. Then, with paint and ink splatters, Feldman finishes each with a visceral urgency that captivates upon first glance. An only child who kept mostly to himself, Feldman first fell in love with art and illustrations through comic books and with Marvel pages he first taught himself to draw by tracing panels. Known for his constant sketching in grade school, Feldman would receive a special award at his grade school graduation entitled “Classroom Cartoonist,” which was created specifically to commend his budding talents as an artist.
Feldman’s first professional assignment came in 1994 when commissioned to draw a portrait of O.J. Simpson upon the verdict of O.J.’s infamous trial. Since then Feldman has provided artwork for advertising agencies, design firms, motion pictures, beverage companies, record labels and magazines. Including a not so flattering illustration of noted rapper Eminem for XXL magazine which sparked the biggest feud in XXL history. The illustration itself earned a shout out from the artist himself on the Marshall Mathers LP.
Private collectors such as Jere Burns (actor, Justified, Bates Motel), Kaley Cuoco (actor, Big Bang Theory), Steve Jones (musician, Sex Pistols), Joe Manganiello (actor, Magic Mike, True Blood), among many others, feature Feldman’s singular work in their collections.