PRESS
RELEASE
MOTEL7 at 34 Long Fine Art, Cape Town
10 March 2009 to 11 April 2009
Cape Town, like most major cities of the world, has a vibrant street art
scene.
The display of colourful, funky scenes on walls attract much attention, yet many passers-by remain ignorant of the social subculture of which they are an expression, the artists who produce
them, and the energy and skill that go into their production.
Motel7 is one of only two women street artists working extensively on the walls of Cape Town. Starting off as a traditional artist using paint and brushes from an early age, Motel7 has moved through the ranks of graffiti art to street art and like many international artists like Banksy, Miss Van, Blek le Rat, D*Face and Nick Walker she is taking her well deserved place as an urban contemporary artist in the world of commercial art galleries. Many art collectors might walk straight past painted walls in public spaces without looking twice, but at a gallery exhibition by the same artist, they would approach the work with a much more appreciative eye. In addition, in many cities like Cape Town where urban and street art is still illegal, artworks very seldom stay on the walls long enough to be fully appreciated before it gets cleaned off or defaced/bombed by other graffiti artists.
Tears and Castles, her debut solo show displays the ease with which Motel7 straddles the divide between public walls and the controlled gallery environment. The exhibition will be a presentation of her unique visual idiom, built up over years of working in a difficult environment, and through images of cupcakes, fruit and sweets, will incorporate other senses which are always relevant when working on the streets - smell and taste. The exhibition will take you through the streets of a nostalgic Nordic village, origin of many of her characters, and offer you tantalizing treats personally prepared by the artist.
Street art, and graffiti with which it is closely associated, is often regarded as vandalism, evidence of urban decay, whereas gallery art is seen as the epitome of artistic achievement. This exhibition demonstrates that by looking closer to what is around one, one can come to the realization that there is, in fact, very little difference.
Having unleashed Motel7 in the Gallery, 34Long Fine Art may just convince you of the beauty and value of art in public as well as private spaces. Motel7 will soon be heading for Europe to pursue her career as a professional urban contemporary artist by painting as much in as many locations as possible, so catch her while you can.
