LA - "Nov York City" (05.17.08 - 06.17.08)

ALIFE LA presents NOV YORK CITY

An Exhibition of Newly Commissioned Work by ERIC HAZE

Opening Reception Saturday, May 17, 2008 from 7‑10pm
Exhibition On View: May 17 to June 17, 2008
451 North Fairfax Ave Los Angeles, CA 90031

Alife LA is proud to present Nov York City, an exhibition of new works by Eric Haze, based on Dumar Brown’s novel The World Screaming Nov and featuring the limited-edition collaborative set The World Screaming Nov. A notable figure in the design and fashion community over the last few decades, New York artist Haze was commissioned by Alife to create an installation specifically for their Los Angeles space. The show will consist of eight archival silkscreen works on canvas. Nov York City represents Haze’s continued return to the fine art world, including recent exhibitions and installations at select galleries worldwide. This will be a rare opportunity to view and purchase the artist’s work in Los Angeles. The exhibition marks a first-time collaboration between Haze, Brown and Alife: The World Screaming Nov limited-edition set. The set includes a signed copy of Brown’s novel and a custom Alife t-shirt designed by Eric Haze. Limited to 192 pieces, the set will be available at all Alife flagship locations in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver and Tokyo and is priced at $75. Nov York City is the first in a series of art exhibitions to be held at Alife’s Los Angeles space in the Fairfax District. Open to the public, the reception for Nov York City will take place on Saturday, May 17 from 7 to 10pm.

Known for his iconic graphics that have transformed the streets of New York City as well as defined the visual language of hip hop bands such as the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and LL Cool J, Haze communicates with his audience through a variety of mediums. For Haze, the exhibition continues to balance the elements of his work as a graphic designer and fine artist. The site-specific installation represents “a continuation of the type-based, freestyle lettering work that I have been developing recently, playing on words, also using scale and repetition within the application of the written word.” His custom graphic for the limited-edition Nov York City t-shirt is a one-off newly created handletter design that relates to the collaborative project as a whole.

The concept for Nov York City was inspired by Dumar Brown’s third title, The World Screaming Nov, which will be released by Brown’s publishing company Newkirk Éditeur. Having featured the Nov series in its New York location for several years, Alife partnered with Brown on his upcoming release and commissioned Haze to illustrate select quotes from the book. The three creative entities teamed up to produce the Nov York City exhibition and limited-edition set, which symbolizes a unique first-time collaboration for all.

About Eric Haze
Born and raised in New York City, Eric Haze has been making his impact felt in the worlds of art, product and graphic design for over 30 years. After spending the 70’s and early 80’s on the front lines of the graffiti movement, Haze opened his design studio in 1986, becoming one of the first visual artists to define the look and graphic language of Hip Hop during its golden years. Some of his most classic works include designs for Public Enemy, EPMD, LL Cool J, and the Beastie Boys. Haze founded his own clothing line in 1993, which remains recognized worldwide as one of the original brands that helped create the blueprint for streetwear as we know it today. Over the last 10 years, Haze has also produced a diverse range of client work and collaborations with industry leaders such as Nike, Casio, Honda, and Apple. Recently relocated to back to New York after over a decade based in Los Angeles, Haze now directs his company out of their new Brooklyn headquarters. For more information, please visit www.interhaze.com

About Dumar Brown
Dumar Brown (aka NOV) is an author and graffiti artist who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Nov York is the first in a series of books about “a kid from Brooklyn who devotes his life to graffiti, (and his life is) juxtaposed with the life of a star (the kind up in space).” At a young age, Brown devoted his life to graffiti, but because of the harsh penalties the Giuliani administration imposed for vandalism in the ‘90s, Brown was forced to express his soul in other ways. He wrote two books, Nov York and Novurkistan, and has just returned from exile in Paris where he completed his third book, The World Screaming Nov. In 2006, he was a featured panelist in Tokion’s Creativity Now conference, and his work has appeared in numerous publications including powerHouse Magazine’s May 2008 issue: The Hustle. Currently, Brown teaches English and the Revolution in one of the many juvenile prisons set up throughout New York City.

About Alife
Founded in 1999, ALIFE is a New York City-based, multi-tasking, multi-faceted lifestyle driven company. Primarily involved in the creation and distribution of its own branded line of soft goods, footwear and accessories, and operation of its flagship boutiques, including ALIFE RIVINGTON CLUB, or A.R.C., which is widely recognized by consumers, press and industry as the world’s premiere sneaker boutique. ALIFE is also well known for its curatorial work, creative direction and production of editorial content for books and magazines, art shows, retail concepts, top-tier branded collaborations, and live music events, as well as ALIFECREATIVE, a full-service creative agency with extensive experience in corporate ID, interior, and magazine design, as well as event planning and execution. ALIFE has partnered on projects with its growing network of artists including Ryan McGinness, Steve Powers, Todd James, RoStarr, Shepard Fairey, Craig Costello, and Eric Haze, and presents special exhibitions at its retail locations worldwide.

ALIFE LA
451 North Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90031
T: 323-655-2093