Lapstone & Hammer and High Art Productions are uniting to host Wet Paint Philly, a very special art exhibition of artist Dave "Persue" Ross' "Wet Paint" project. Going down this Saturday, July 13th at Lapstone & Hammer, Wet Paint Philly brings together artists from Philadelphia and around the country to contribute their distinct styles to actual Wet Paint signs procured from various New York city subway stops. Persue's friend, @skipclass, explains the project's origin:
While living in NYC a few years ago, graffiti writer/artist Persue (creator and curator of Wet Paint) began to notice the “WET PAINT” signs placed in the subway stations by the MTA. He took some home and painted his characters and letter styles on a few of them. Painting on the signs was the first spark for creating the Wet Paint show. Persue quickly curated a line up of NYC graffiti legends plus additional artists from the US and worldwide. He asked all of them to put their own styles on the signs. Each sign he physically had to procure in the subways of NYC. He needed a large number to have enough to send 2 or 3 signs to every artist in the show.
Repurposing benign objects and altering the urban environment are both hallmarks of graffiti writers since its earliest days.
And if you follow that thread all the way back to the beginning, it will lead to only one city: Philadelphia.
Philly is the original birthplace of the tag/wall writing. And to this day, it still has unique styles that can not be duplicated or imitated even with the advent of social media and the web. Philadelphia is not simply another stop on the list, it is one the most important contributors to the culture. This show includes some of Philly’s finest, paired with a group heavy hitters from various cities and of multiple art disciplines. The show is a one night only event, and be assured the gathering of all of these legends into a singular show is a feat in of itself and is not to be missed.
The show will also feature a clothing capsule designed by Persue and featuring collaborations with ENEM and WANE. The capsule features coveralls, hats and tees adorned with Wet Paint graphics, as well as a collaborative hoodie, tee and short set created with Lapstone & Hammer. This apparel capsule, along with all of the artwork on display, will be available for purchase at the show.
High Art Productions Presents: Wet Paint Philly will take place this Saturday, July 13th from 6 - 9pm @ Lapstone & Hammer, 1106 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA.
