THE LIGHT YEARS with JUSTUS & ANDRE
April 25–May 29, 2010
Justus Roe | http://justusroe.com | Statement | City space is a pervasive influence. It is a constant motivation in producing art; a center reference of my ideology. This ideology interplays between self-imposed urban myths, while being encompassed by a simultaneous nostalgia and distain for historical Chicago. The interest is in continuing to translate ideas about this evolving environment. To invent representations of shifting physical urban landscapes and the psychological environments they create through audio, video and painting. | Bio | Chicago native Justus Roe approaches life and art as a renaissance man. Coming of age in Uptown, Justus was very involved in graffiti and DJ’ing. Although retired early from graffiti, Justus continued to purse visual arts studying at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and Syracuse University in Florence Italy receiving his BFA in 1999 and MFA in Arts and Media from Columbia. From1999- 2006 Justus was commissioned to paint the massive alley entranceway to Chicago’s Club Neo. His extensive international travel through Europe, South America and Japan has inspired artwork capturing the ever-evolving physical and psychological metropolitan landscapes. He is a founding member of the group Royce and DJ’s under the name DJ White Lightning. Justus is also a co- founder of one the world’s most innovative record labels out of Chicago, Galapagos4. He has been involved in engineering, producing and art direction for the labels forty plus releases including Typical Cats, Qwel, Mestizo, Robust, Royce and Denizen Kane. He has also been a part of several world tours with Galapagos4. In addition to his work with Galapagos4, he currently works as an arts administrator for the Chicago Public Schools Gallery37 Advanced Arts Education Program, providing advanced arts training for CPS juniors and seniors.
Andre’ Corbin | http://andreprime.com | Bio | Andre’ Corbin was born and raised in Chicago, yet the majority of his free time as a child was spent in nature. There was an empty lot across the street from his house and he would go there everyday to play and explore. He would look under rocks for insects and watch them for hours everyday. Andre’ also grew plants and raised animals. He always attempted to recreate the world outside in a fish tank filled with dirt, plants, and small creatures. Whenever He wasn’t playing with bugs or growing plants, Andre’ was playing videogames, watching cartoons, or playing with action figures. He pretty much continued those hobbies until college. Then he was introduced to the world of Japanese animation. He also began reading fables and folklore from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Japan. The music Andre’ listens to greatly influences the course of his creations. It always tends to be circular, digital, and very obscure. Andre’s works are a culmination of music, emotion, nature, machinery, technology, animation, architecture, sacred symbols, old folklore, and ancient magic. But at the end of the day he just likes to draw what he thinks looks cool.
Art@Coles is an AnySquared Project.
