NATHAN CATLIN
After seeing the No Rio space for the first time I thought about the location and history of the wall. I wanted to incorporate some kind history of the people of the space. I chose to paint two figures with one having a slight resemblance to Mike Bullshit, the lead singer of the punk band GO! which used to play the space a lot in the 80’s. I was also interested in the future of ABC No Rio and the fact that they are going to tear down the building and rebuild. It felt like they had outgrown their space and are moving forward to bigger and better things. With that I made the figures overgrown and pushing against the ceiling, beginning to tear it down themselves.
MIKE ESTABROOK
“For this drawing project, I extended my involvement to create a space of collaboration that expresses the power of friendship and cooperation, to bring light into darkness. Marliese Adriaanse, Jessy Rahman, Vandana Jain, and myself created a four person collaboration that began with a flat black background, and through the addition of white elements of collage and drawing, created a complete visual composition.”
BRIAN GEORGE
“Usually I use photo reference to make detailed illustrations in pencil or watercolor. But lately I’ve been playing with old stock imagery to make more graphic, stark illustrations using digital methods. This has resulted in a change of design, format and execution that I wanted to share with people in a gallery setting.”
RENZO ORTEGA
“1,2,3 GO! is a mural celebrating the concerts that have been held at abc no rio for more than two decades. Many of the most influential American and International punk bands have performed at the matinees; bringing fast drum beats, distortion guitars and lyrics of conciousness to all-ages audiences. This mural, painted with bold black lines illustrates my experience attending and performing at shows at abc. This mural is an homage to the work done by the punk collective and the bands to keep DIY ethics and attitude alive; a crucial mission in this time of big social changes and difficulties such as gentrification and the displacement of families.”
L.J. RUELL
“Our devices try to connect people every day. We attempt to build communities through technology. A global network allows us to connect with anyone in the world instantly.
“Still the most social thing to do is to make out at a punk show with someone who loves the same music as you do.”
CAROL WARNER
“I am attracted to the language associated with real estate. I choose words from local real estate listings, to draw from language specific to the city. The words begin to take on a nuanced feeling when they are out of context, but still connect to the community. The words are trite, but they also have a hint of poetic hopefulness. Each letter is unique, with the graffitied surface of the wall showing through. The signs refer to the space very directly, and suggest that this space is affected by new commercial and residential developments. And although change is inevitable, it is important to think about what is lost and who is affected by the process.”
DASIC FERNANDEZ
“Your struggle is my struggle”
I’m an artist from Santiago. I like to play with three-dimensional effects, unique techniques and a surreal style. Expressive portraits made of dots and but also objects and characters in movement and colors escaping walls spilling onto sidewalks.
For ABC no rio mural I decided to include a second character to represent the brotherhood and the unity in all fights, and at the same time invite the viewer to be a part of it.