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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Dalek @ Ox-Op Gallery
Wednesday 23 April @ 14:23:36 |
 by Jake Keeler
Tom Hazelmeyer was tired of seeing art that bored the hell out of him, and/or spoke only to the top one percent of academia. He knew of work that was being overlooked, if not ignored altogether by the Twin Cities’ art scene. So with some help from Wes Winship (LifeSuckDie Magazine), Tom created a venue to get the job done. Based on the annexed area of Grumpy’s Bar called the City Room, the OX-OP arts gallery evolved into a top-notch venue with professional lighting, solid design, and a merchandise room. With an impressive grand opening group show last month, the OX-OP set the bar high.
Detail of a Space Monkey Painting
James Marshall, aka Dalek, was a part of that group show, and had no problem achieving the same standard of quality in his current solo show at OX-OP. This is Dalek’s first solo show in Minnesota, coming from Brooklyn where he currently makes his home.
As a graffiti writer, Dalek carved a niche with his “Space Monkey” characters, who exist all over the United States on walls and highway overpasses. Jaser, a fellow writer, commissioned Dalek to paint the monkey to canvas. Through further commissions and encouragement, Dalek got excited about painting and began creating a whole body of work based on the character, going beyond graffiti. Soon Dalek was making connections to galleries on the West Coast, and it’s been snowballing ever since.
Dalek is a self-taught “fine artist,” which is hard to believe when viewing his technically proficient paintings and drawings. Seeing Dalek’s paintings, which are titled by dates of completion, one ponders the method employed to render the crisp lines and smooth paint strokes that animate his toothy-grinned monkeys. The consistency of the work is also impressive, and speaks of the method of repetition/re-working of an image that artists like Jim Dine have used to create a personal visual vocabulary.
Dalek has created a personal slang through his space monkey paintings that communicates ideas, emotions and messages to the viewer while leaving enough room for individual interpretations. In this, Dalek attempts to reflect the aesthetics and feelings of contemporary counter culture. His work doesn’t beat you over the head, or fly over it, but rather hits you in the gut.
And if you dislike space monkeys, or prefer conceptual installations that require a manual to understand, at least give credit to Dalek and OX-OP for speaking to the other 99 percent.
Show runs through April 30. Ox-Op Gallery, 1111 Washington Ave. S. (behind Grumpy’s Bar), Mpls. Hours: Tue.–Sat. 4–8 p.m. 612-259-0085. http://www.OX-OP.com.
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