Preview: Pablo Power & Schoolly D Philly VS New York: A Declaration of Co-Independence 03/04/17 @ Okay Space, Brooklyn March 4, 2017 16:30 1 Comment

Okay Space and Black Swan Projekt present Philly VS New York: A Declaration of Co-Independence, an exhibition from artists and contemporaries Schoolly D and Pablo Power. The exhibition will open as a part of 2017’s Armory Arts Week annual Brooklyn Night on Saturday, March 04, 2017, from 6pm - 10pm.


That night there will be a special performance by Schoolly D and seminal shoegaze band The Veldt, covering several of his songs including "Coqui 900" and "Saturday night"! 

By naming these two prolific cities that for sometime now have maintained a constructively competitive relationship to one another (Philly and NYC), this exhibition seeks to evoke a feeling of collaboration not only between two artists, but between artistic communities that quite often feel like they exist in different worlds. 

Two cities with such strong heritage are often pitted against one another, but these artists seek to show that these two communities can become stronger if they band together to learn and grow from one another. The first in a series of events, this sophomore exhibition is a continuation of their 2013 exhibition "Am I Black Enough?". That exhibit featured some of Schoolly D’s most well known album art as well as original pieces. Power contributed art that expressed Schoolly D’s influence on him and his peers during his youth as well as the influence Gangsta Rap had on him and society as a whole. 



Power and Schoolly initially met in 2013, forming a friendship that very quickly turned into them collaborating artistically. This project is the evolution of their ideas reflecting our changing world in regards to issues such as class, race and urban environments. Seeking to unlock layers of meaning within the urban context, this exhibit challenges the viewer with what it means to create art and what makes an artist. This exhibit seeks to challenge the notion of self by proposing a call to action, especially for people who feel outside the traditional realm of the “status quo.” This work is meant to be a call to action, a provocation against mainstream ideals, and a challenge both to individuals to be their best selves. 

The show will consist of individual works from each artist, and will also be the debut of a series of new collaborative works done in a 12" square format, referencing Schoolly D's extensive music catalog and his history of creating the artwork for most of his album covers. Power will be screening his 2016 video piece Pattern Perspective: Perpetual Reckoning alongside a body of new abstract works which are derived from the video's imagery and subject matter. 

Surely you do not want to miss it. It will be one of THOSE nights for sure! 

Music for the night will be provided by DJ Jamie Rose.
https://soundcloud.com/music-matters-47374206

Hope you can make it!

Pablo Power & Schoolly D
Philly VS New York: A Declaration of Co-Independence
March 04, 2017 - April 01, 2017

RSVP: pabloschoolly.splashthat.com 

Opening Reception:
Saturday, March 4, 2017
6pm - 10pm
Okay Space
281 North 7th

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All photographs Copyright Matthew A. Eller 2017