Barry Mcgee
London has been waiting six long years for a chance to see some new work by Barry Mcgee. The wait is over. Modern Art are showcasing a variety of new works across mediums and the results are spectacular. The exhibition is called ‘New Work’ and (without wanting to state the obvious) it is not just a clever name.
Mcgee (aka Twist) has been prolific since the first World Cup finals I can just about remember to this day; butchering train yards, annihilating walls and billboards, but also honing a fine art style that sources inspiration from his background, but transcends the trains-walls-and-flyover perspectives that we move among day-after-day to find a new home in contemporary art space.
He has always been a writer’s writer. The staple ‘I like the big colourful pieces but hate tagging’ argument is the worst stance that anyone can have when discussing Mcgee’s work as his handstyle is still his most potent weapon. It is both flamboyant and flawless.
Put it this way, Twist is one of the best taggers ever. It’s easy to get lost in his winding one-liners, we’ve been getting lost for years.
‘New Work’ is a fine example of how true graffiti art and true street art can live together in matrimony in fine art settings.
The trouble is that you have to shed layers of skin and visit shows like this to find such a happy place. I for one know graffiti writers that would rather punch street artists in the face than have a conversation with them about stencils or newsprint poster campaigns. Through nothing but true dedication to the elements that make up both graffiti art and street art (take his wall of tags at the Bowery and Houston spot in New York for example), Mcgee has always blurred the lines between graffiti art and street art, however, he was responsible for building some of the foundational bridges, so he doesn’t have to answer to anyone.
Way before the term ‘street art’ had established itself as part of the mainstream, way before any Tom, Dick or Banksy had put their spin on things, Barry Mcgee was tackling the same subject matter in his vast two-tone spraypaint characters that said so much visually with such apparent ease, minimal paint usage, expert shading, but most significantly freehand efforts.
The most fitting tribute that can be paid to Barry Mcgee and his place within such a saturated scene lays deep in the third album of arguably New York Cities most talented (and slept upon) emcees Aesop Rock
“I twist characters like Twist characters.”
Barry Mcgee – ‘New Work’ runs from July 1st – August 13th at Modern Art, 23-25 Eastcastle street, London.
