Artwork Description
DJ Qbert Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print on 310gsm Fine Art Paper by Ben Frost, Denial, DJ Qbert Graffiti Street Artist Modern Pop Art.
Canadian artist Denial and Australian-born Ben Frost have joined forces in a bold exhibition of new work that explores the boundaries of appropriation, in confronting re-imaginings of our current dystopian society. "Company of Thieves" at Inner State Gallery in Detroit with special guest DJ Qbert. These self-confessed ‘visual thieves have a long history of stealing and subverting the cultural icons that the advertising and consumerist world has thrust upon us, creating new and pertinent interpretations that are as confronting as they are humorous. This collaboration with DJ Qbert carries on with this theme as all 3 artists join together as a Company of Thieves, sampling and remixing to create something entirely new.
Ben Frost is utilizing imagery familiar to western culture in order to make a statement about the culture itself on the basis of consumerism, modern icons, big corporations, etc. Animation characters, pop icons, brand logos, and many more are transformed into vibrant artworks and find their place in galleries. With this in mind, and in the case of Ben Frost, it is futile to try to identify a clear borderline between low and high art. In reality, the artist wants the audience to think on the terms of high or low value and, by extension, what these actually mean. Over the years street artists have managed to establish themselves as respected creators and some of them have even gained international fame, transforming graffiti from a fringe art, aiming sometimes to mark street gangs’ territory, into big business.
