ASSOCIATE ARTIST SHOWCASE: THE SPECTACULAR SPECTACULAR BY ZERO

THE SPECTACULAR SPECTACULAR

By ZERO
Friday 29 October to Sunday 21 November
The Substation Gallery
Gallery Hours: 12pm to 9pm
Reception Opening: 29 October, 7:30pm
Admission: Free
Presented by The Substation

Graffiti art, celebrated as an alternative, youth-centric art form in the mass media, has the unique ability to reach out and connect with the youths through its usage of bold colours and imagery. In recent years, such striking “graffiti-esque” visiuals have been extensively used to launch and market youth-oriented campaigns and products.

Local graffiti artist, Zul Othman aka ZERO, investigates the relationship between graffiti art, advertising, and youth-oriented consumer culture in his graffiti art show, The Spectacular Spectacular.

As a practitioner of graffiti art, ZERO started out creating his work illegally around the city and his neighbourhood. After his graffiti works caught the attention of corporate companies and was subsequently commissioned to produce art pieces for them, ZERO began to explore the notion of the graffiti artist as a brand and the idea of utilising graffiti art as a branding strategy.

Reminiscent of Yoshitomo Nara’s artwork, ZERO’s visuals and characters in The Spectacular Spectacular provoke audience reactions by parodying well-known brands such as Levi’s and Starbucks. Thorough the invention of his own personal style and “brand”, ZERO investigates how graffiti art influences and connects with the youths through marketing strategies and campaigns, whilst making an insidious commentary on the changing state and ideology of graffiti art.

This is ZERO’s first solo exhibition at The Substation.

Bio:

Zul Othman @ ZERO
Graffiti Artist

A graduate from NAFA with a Diploma in Visual Communications, and the Lasalle College of the Arts with a Diploma in Painting and a BA (Hons) in Fine Arts, Zul aka ZERO, is a member of the urban arts collective, ARTVSTS. In 2007, he was appointed as an Associate Artist of The Substation.

Zul’s art revolves around street culture, pop culture and current affairs. Zul is consistently creating dialogue and social commentary through his art, which constantly evolves as he tries to integrate the function of design and advertising within the framework of conceptual art and traditional fine art.

Zul has been involved in numerous events and exhibitions, and has been an integral part in the growth of ARTVSTS collective since its formation in late 2003. Zul was a shortlisted nominee for the President’s Young Artist Awards 2005 and is currently a lecturer with Lasalle College of the Arts.

For more information about the exhibition, please go to http://www.substation.org/zero/

To view more of ZERO's works, please go to http://zerostarrfighter.blogspot.com/