Chris Bracey: Neon

Chris Bracey has been been “the neon man” for more than 35 years. Bracey has produced signs for top directors from Stanley Kubrick to Tim Burton. Neons by Bracey have been featured in numerous films including, Batman with Jack Nicholson, the original Tomb Raider and Judge Dredd, while he has had creative collaborations with David LaChapelle, Alexander McQueen and Noble & Webster. Bracey even collects and salvages old iconic signs and neons before they are discarded and disappear forever. Repaired, elaborated and resurrected by Bracey, these pieces become icons of their own.

Guy Hepner
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West Hollywood, CA 90048

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Jason Alper: My America

With only 12 days until the opening of It’s All Back On, Jason Alper describes his motivation for the creation of the incendiary piece, My America.

“I ask myself the question. What does the American flag represent to me? The most iconic flag of all? Yes. Perfection in its design? Quite possibly. War? Absolutely.

I'm certainly not the first person to comment on America, through the imagery of a flag. Mark Twain's, 'Weapons of Satire', did the same thing at the beginning of the 20th century.

But this isn't an anti-American statement. Far from it. It's a shame that the flag, once perceived by the rest of the world, as a symbol of freedom, is now, the complete opposite. What was once, an image of positivity, success and iconography, as Jasper Johns so masterfully executed, is now, far more negative than it's ever been.

I've been fortunate enough to travel across America, countless times, always encountering patriotism of the highest order. This is the only country, where people make the effort to shroud their homes in huge flags. I've always liked this. It simply looks cool.

When I think of the American flag in 2010, sadly, it's too commonly seen in war situations. For this reason, I decided to build the piece with 19 US issue rifles, making the stripes and 50 hand grenades, for the stars. The rifles are positioned at different heights, giving the illusion of the flag blowing in the wind, just like the Moon landing in '69.

I named the piece, My America. On one hand, it sadly reflects the waste of lives and money, and how the people fighting each other are weirdly, the innocent parties, while the real guilty culprits are the Politicians who never get their hands dirty.

It makes me think how many guns and hand grenades have ruined so many lives, time after time. You would imagine someone would realize that, this may not be the best solution. I'd like to think that this piece has transformed something ugly, into something quite beautiful and positive.”

It's All Back On opens April 17, 2010, exclusively at Guy Hepner, in West Hollywood.

Guy Hepner
300 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048

info@guyhepner.com
Tel: +1 310.979.0011

www.guyhepner.com
www.twitter.com/guyhepner
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Jason Alper: What Would Jesus Wear?

As the countdown continues to the opening of It’s All Back On, Jason Alper shares his thoughts on What Would Jesus Wear?; an evocative painting inspired simultaneously by the Renaissance master Caravaggio and the luxury label Louis Vuitton.

“I wanted to ask the question that nobody has really ever asked. What would Jesus wear? For this, I used my favorite Caravaggio painting - The Incredulity of Saint Thomas. This was my template. I began to dress Jesus up, in different outfits. There was no competition. The question had been answered. It was going to be Louis Vuitton. I love the idea of combining two incredibly iconic images from both 1601 and 2010. I hope this allows lovers of both, Caravaggio and Louis Vuitton, or Jesus for that matter, to discover each other, if they haven’t already. I’ve tried to stay as true to the original as possible, using oil on canvas.”

It's All Back On opens April 17, 2010, exclusively at Guy Hepner, in West Hollywood.

Guy Hepner
300 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048

info@guyhepner.com
Tel: +1 310.979.0011

www.guyhepner.com
www.twitter.com/guyhepner
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Jason Alper: It's All Back On

Jason Alper: Mr Pink

With less than four weeks until the opening of Jason Alper’s inaugural show, It’s All Back On, we have invited Alper to reveal one piece each week accompanied by a brief explanation of his thoughts and inspiration for the work. The countdown begins with Mr Pink.

“This is a marriage of two of my favourite icons from my misspent youth. The main thing that came to mind when I was constructing this was that both images appeal equally to both sexes. When I think just how influential Star Wars became, and still is, I couldn’t resist ‘playing’ with one of the movies’ most iconic images. Changing the colour takes away the sinister element. It’s really important that everyone can, like me, smile when they see these fond images from their past. I chose to use pink as the primary colour, it gives the piece a softer, more playful, fun, look. I adopted the bevelled corners, as Playboy did, back in the Seventies, giving this piece a retro look.”

It's All Back On opens April 17, 2010, exclusively at Guy Hepner, in West Hollywood.

Guy Hepner
300 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048

info@guyhepner.com
Tel: +1 310.979.0011

www.guyhepner.com
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Warhol, Haring & Wesselmann Set Records at Auction

Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Tom Wesselmann experienced outstanding auction results last week in New York at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Works by Warhol, Haring and Wesselmann sold well above the initial estimates. The auctions a whole were incredibly successful, but the true highlights were black and white paintings by Warhol from late in his career.

For his late paintings, Warhol scanned Pop images from newspapers and magazines, focusing on current events and topics of personal significance. Warhol deliberately included sociopolitical commentaries in his later works, exploring major cultural issues of the mid to late 1980’s. Self Defense by Warhol, estimated between $250,000 and $350,000, sold for $506,500, twice its estimated value. Eggs by Warhol, estimated between $20,000 and $30,000, sold for $68,500.

Two Jackies by Warhol, estimated between $40,000 and $60,000, sold for $446,500, more than seven times the initial estimate. A large untitled ink and acrylic painting by Keith Haring, estimated between $20,000 and $30,000, sold for an unprecedented $220,900. Face No. 4 (Study) by Tom Wesselmann, estimated between $30,000 and $50,000, sold for $134,500, nearly triple the initial estimate. Blue-chip works by Warhol, Haring and Wesselmann continually exceed expectations at auction. Results such as these, prove that the art market is recovering quickly from the recent economic downturn.

Guy Hepner
300 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048

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Tel: +1 310.979.0011

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Upcoming Exhibition - Jason Alper

Jason Alper is poised to become one the art world's most celebrated, and talked about new artists with his avant-garde and ingenious debut, IT'S ALL BACK ON at Guy Hepner.

Alper was born and raised in England. A “cockney boy” who was exposed and inspired by an array of cultures, from the unrefined streets of East London, to the historic grandeur of Knightsbridge, his life was and is an ongoing dichotomy.

Alper, for the past decade, has been an influencer in the world of popular culture. Collaborating with Sacha Baron Cohen, he is known as a fearless costume designer with an artistic and irreverent eye, and for creating the iconic and memorable characters of Ali G, Borat and Bruno. Always one to push the envelope, Alper made the decision to use his inventiveness by expressing his talents in a new medium, but one that has always been at his core, art.

Alper will be exhibiting 20 pieces of art in varied mediums and materials combining his cutting edge vision of innovation, accessibility and of course a strong element of satire. IT'S ALL BACK ON is already creating a buzz in the industry with some of Hollywood's elite seeking to purchase pieces prior to the opening. Alper's featured pieces include controversial and out of the box works such as “What Would Jesus Wear,” “Luxury Lego” and “Mr. Pink.”

IT'S ALL BACK ON opens April 17, 2010, exclusively at Guy Hepner, in West Hollywood.

Guy Hepner
300 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048

info@guyhepner.com
Tel: +1 310.979.0011

www.guyhepner.com
www.twitter.com/guyhepner
www.facebook.com/guyhepner