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Exhibit will run Feb. 3-March 16
Recent works by John “Crash” Matos, a pioneer in the graffiti art movement, will be on display in the Williams Center for the Arts Gallery Feb. 3-March 16.
A gallery reception for the art exhibit will be held from 7-9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9, featuring music and food. Matos will be giving an artist talk at noon, Friday, Feb. 8 in the Williams Center. Robert S. Mattison, Marshall R. Metzgar Professor of Art, will give an illustrated talk about the East Village art movement at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21 in room 108 of the Williams Center. Matos is also creating a limited edition t-shirt for the exhibition.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The gallery is located at the intersection of Hamilton and High streets. For more information, call the gallery at x5361.
Matos began his career at an early age, painting New York City subway cars. Having gained attention from these murals and from those on dilapidated buildings, Matos was a key figure in the East Village art scene. Putting on exhibits since 1981, he is a main figure in the graffiti art movement.
According to the Flint Institute of Art, Matos’ works are a “visual link between street life and established society.”
Matos recently completed a limited edition run of 50 painted guitar bodies from Fender Custom Shop. The line, named “Crashocasters,” was started in 2004 and was inspired by the graffiti-style Stratocaster bodies he had painted for Eric Clapton.
The Williams Center Gallery is funded in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.