Cheech Marin, Emilio Rivera, Lupe Fiasco, Travis Barker Attend Mister Cartoon Los Angeles Exhibition
MISTER CARTOON’S JUST MY IMAGINATION OPENING WEEKEND UNITES THE LOS ANGELES ART COMMUNITY, BRINING VIPS AND FANS TO BEYOND THE STREETS & CONTROL GALLERY
The LA icon kicked off long-awaited solo exhibition in his hometown with a packed opening weekend.
Friday June 9th, BEYOND THE STREETS & CONTROL Gallery saw an extraordinary turnout for the Los Angeles solo debut of acclaimed artist and LA native, Mister CARTOON. A true celebration of the milestone that is the artist’s first ever solo exhibition, in his own hometown no less, Just My Imagination, brought a veritable who’s who of Los Angeles street culture, spanning celebrities, collectors, and Mister CARTOON’s most loyal and enthusiastic fans.
With lines out the door, the opening weekend demonstrated the sheer enthusiasm and appreciation for his work, bringing together celebrities, collectors, and influencers each eager to take in the detailed airbrushing and drawings on a variety of surfaces. From a metal canvas handcrafted out of aluminum to perfection to the use of candy enamel automotive paint in all of the paintings, including meticulous body lines on a one-of-a-kind customized car within the gallery, the exhibition is a visual feast.
Celebrating the expert curation and window into the history of the artist, from his working-class upbringing to all of the emotions and experiences associated with growing up in Los Angeles through the ‘80s, ‘90s, and 2000s, VIPs including Cheech Marin, Chiquis Rivera, Emilio Rivera, Lupe Fiasco, Shepard Fairey, Travis Barker and more made their way through the gallery, emphasizing Just My Imagination as a time capsule of not only LA influence, but the loyal vibrance of the city.
With over 3,000 people rolling through the gallery during the opening weekend alone, the events foreshadow a highly successful run, giving LA locals and tourists alike the chance to absorb a piece of the city’s Chicano street art culture through the eyes of Mister CARTOON.
The evolution of Mister CARTOON’s work is on display through an experience that will take over both BEYOND THE STREETS Flagship and CONTROL Gallery spaces, celebrating a career that started from airbrushing t-shirts at car shows, to graffiti, sign painting, and becoming a globally exhibited museum artist and tattoo artist to the stars.
Just My Imagination remains on view until July 16, 2023, Wednesday through Sunday 11am to 6pm.
About Mister CARTOON
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Mister CARTOON was immersed in art from an early age. He began his career as a graffiti artist before branching into murals, album covers, logos, and now most famously known for his tattoos. His richly detailed, hand-rendered designs pull much of their inspiration from the Los Angeles of CARTOON’s youth. CARTOON’s work has helped bridge the gap between those hardscrabble beginnings and the style’s current popularity. CARTOON has gained a worldwide following from his tattooing, with a clientele that includes the likes of Eminem, Travis Barker, Christina Aguilera, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg. He’s attracted a diverse and devoted fan base for his work in other media as well. The result has been highly acclaimed gallery appearances and art shows in London, Paris, Tokyo, and beyond, as well as activations alongside global brands like Nike, Netflix, Apple, Louis Vuitton and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Service to the community has been an essential part of CARTOON’s career, where he is active in outreach programs, sharing his knowledge with young people and devoting time to many community-based initiatives.
About BEYOND THE STREETS
BEYOND THE STREETS was founded by Roger Gastman, producer of the 2010 Academy Award-nominated film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, co-curator of Art in the Streets (2011) at the MoCA in Los Angeles, and director of the SHOWTIME documentary Rolling Like Thunder (2021), a plunge into the underground world of freight train graffiti culture. BEYOND THE STREETS is an art-driven cultural and educational worldwide movement celebrating mark makers and rule breakers, agitators and instigators. Its curation showcases the best of contemporary and emerging artists, with a focus on graffiti and street art creators. Boasting over 100 artist collaborators per show, BEYOND THE STREETS is known for its massive-scale exhibitions, immersive educational experiences, and engaging pop-up events, which have played host to over half a million unique visitors between its shows in Los Angeles, New York, The Hamptons and digital showcases with NTWRK. BEYOND THE STREETS exhibitions have produced over 2.5B media impressions through global art publications, business journals and culture magazines, with new show openings coming to Shanghai and London in 2023. BEYOND THE STREETS is widely recognized for its innovative brand partnerships and premium publications, which include over 75 published and authored book titles, including works for the likes of Martha Cooper, Felipe Pantone, POSE, Paul Insect, DABSMYLA and Beastie Boys, amongst others. BEYOND THE STREETS pushes the very idea of art beyond any preconceived boundary.
About CONTROL Gallery
CONTROL Gallery was born of a desire to reclaim space that so many artists have been excluded from. It not only explores the vast primal instincts of mark-making, but also the most experimental and expansive artwork being made in the world today. CONTROL champions artists who have been at the forefront of rule-breaking artistry and anti-establishment practices. It brings together a community of creators that have done things their way, while paving roads for a new generation that drives the very idea of art beyond any real or imagined boundary.
