“SOMOS LOCOS” spread the love of art at the Manhattan Beach Art Center, March 18, 2017, with a presentation featuring new work by California Locos, five pioneering L.A. artists, Chaz Bojorquez, Dave Tourje, Gary Wong, John Van Hamersveld and Norton Wisdom, as well as a new Dusters California Locos skateboard and the release of “Somos Locos – The Story of the California Locos” book with essays by Shana Nys Dambrot, G James Daichendt and Charlotte Eyerman, photos by Dan Levy, Adam Cude, Gary Leonard, Diana Mantis Brent Black, Allison Stewart, Nick Steers, Blades Bojorquez, Claudia Taylor, Kevin Regan, John Van Hamersveld, Daniel Madero and Victor Moscoso, words by Dave Tourje and introduction by Martin Betz.
The day kicked off with the grand opening of the Manhattan Beach Skate Spot at 1625 Marine Ave with a pro skater expression session, live DJ, swag and giveaways, and autograph signings. At 3pm, the Manhattan Beach Creative Arts Center, located at 1560 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Manhattan Beach, CA, hosted live music by Charlie Chan & The SOBs, and Steve Alba with special guest Spidey De Montrond. At 5pm, MBAC presented a California Locos book signing with all of the artists in attendance, followed at 6pm by the “Somos Locos” art show featuring Chaz Bojorquez, Dave Tourje, Gary Wong, John Van Hamersveld and Norton Wisdom.
The California Locos are a collective group of celebrated artists that unite to present works that grind against the grain of the elitist art crowd’s “industry standard” of what they dictate to be work with value. See for yourself…
Words and Photos by Dan Levy © Juice Magazine
From the rugged streets, Chaz Bojorquez has become the defining voice of culture for the true ‘live or die by the sword’ artists of the world with his hard-line powerful style metaphorically shouting at you as you are engulfed by his work.
John Van Hamersveld effortlessly stimulates simple impactful imagery with a barrage of colors and critically calculated designs that are timeless and celebrated throughout multiple generations.
Norton Wisdom brings a satirical and seductively controversial nuance to his work that draws you into a mindset of free thought that most crave on a primordial level.
Gary Wong literally translates the musical blues genre into painted forms with powerful images blanketed in profound messaging through the lens of decades of street wisdom that can only be learned by experiencing it.
Dave Tourje’s work erupted from the grit of board riding and interpreting the lines of the unforgiving asphalt and the concrete backyard wonderland of East Los spillways and drought-emptied pools which translates into an epic skate session on his painted works.
All five of the Locos have had formal training, yet none of them ignore the visceral drive of creating work from their souls. As a collective group, the statement is very clear: “Somos Locos” – We Are Crazy. By definition, crazy as an adjective means mentally deranged, especially as manifested in a wild or aggressive way, and it is with this ethos that change can occur and the storm begins to show on the radar.
Prolific work is often regarded and boxed into labels and categories i.e.. fine art, abstract expressionism, visual art etc.. for reasons of commerce and indentured to marks in time to create or appraise value. The California Locos movement transcends any label and strongly and unapologetically defies any type of box unless it’s time to get in the ring. Somos Locos by its intent and nature affords the opportunity to share the ideology of being exclusively inclusive to art enthusiasts all over the world. The Cali Locos movement is growing into a global phenomenon with its mysterious pop-up gallery style way of messaging to the masses leaving you never knowing where the Locos will hit next.
Here are a few snaps from yet another excellent California Locos show that will go down in history, sponsored by Juice Magazine, Dusters California, Spyder Boards, Rebel Coast Winery, The Dudes Brew and The Critics Choice.
