Private view on 1st December at XOYO, to feature exclusive DJ set from Don Letts with Lyle Owerko
Exhibition continues at Whisper Gallery from 8th December
London gallery, Whisper in collaboration with XOYO are proud to present their new exhibition, The Boombox Project by Lyle Owerko – a vibrant look at an old-school icon, featuring contemporary fine art portraits of an array of vintage boomboxes.
Lyle Owerko is a New York based filmmaker and photographer who has directed music videos for artists such as Rufus Wainwright and American HI-FI. He also shot the cover for the September 11, 2001 issue of Time, which was ranked as one of the most important magazine covers in the past 40 years by the American Society Of Magazine Editors.
The show subject is particularly close to Owerko’s heart. While in Tokyo in 2001, he found a mint condition late-seventies Victor JVC at an outdoor market. Already a collector, his hunt began for more rare and obscure models. Beloved by rappers, b-boys and dancers alike, the Boombox reminds us of when music was a collective experience and the street was a club. Owerko spent years collecting and photographing a remarkable set of vintage Boomboxes, resulting in an arresting, unexpected photo series of these cult objects, all of which have been documented in his book, The Boombox Project: The Machines, The Music, and The Urban Underground, featuring a introduction by Spike Lee. This is the first time the full exhibition will be on public display in the UK.
The private view for the launch of The Boombox Project at XOYO on Thursday 1st December will see a selection of Owerko’s Boombox prints displayed and will feature an exclusive DJ set from Don Letts and a one-off London gig from Brooklyn based ‘Art Rap/Freak Folk/World Music’ duo Das Racist.
The Boombox Project will be on public view at XOYO from 2nd December to 7th December. A larger selection of prints will be on display at Whisper gallery from 9th December – 14th January, with a private view at the gallery on 8th December. All 27 prints in the photoseries will be on display across both locations.
Lyle Owerko’s prints will be displayed in a range of sizes at Whisper and XOYO, from 16 x 20 inches to 60 x 89 inches. All prints on display will be available in limited numbers to purchase at Whisper and XOYO and online at www.whisperfineart.co.uk, with prices starting from £600.
Director of Whisper Gallery, Jamie Wood, comments on the exhibition: “Owerko’s work is sought after by many major art collectors, in fact the V&A recently acquired one of his boomboxes in to their permanent collection. So, we’re really proud to be presenting the work of such a talented individual in our gallery and to be able to offer limited edition prints of his work to those who want to take a little bit of this remarkable photoseries home with them.”
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION & PRESS ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT W COMMUNICATIONS:
Georgia Camp @ W Communications
Georgia@wcommunications.co.uk / 07967 332 757
Katie Scott @ W Communications
Katie@wcommunications.co.uk / 07834 715 346
Notes to Editors
About Whisper: Whisper’s philosophy is to make contemporary art accessible to more people. Director of Whisper, Jamie Wood, believes that art collecting should not just be an elitist past time for those with disposable incomes. He strongly believes that anyone with a passion for art should be able to have access to their favourite artists not just on the walls of a museum, or on the pages of an auction catalogue, but in their own homes. So, he approached some of the most talented and innovative artists working today, both in the UK and internationally, emerging and established, to work with leading print studios to create a suite of limited edition prints.
Leading contemporary artists represented by Whisper and working in screen print, lithography and etching include; portraits and figurative studies by Bruce French, Mark Hayward and Matt Small; Pop Art by Pakpoom Silaphan and Russell Young; and Urban Art by D*Face and Swoon.
About XOYO: XOYO is a dynamic space across two floors profiing a mixture of Art, Music, Culture and Media events. A living, breathing hub, creating touchpoints across these activities. XOYO have set an agenda with gallery exhibits like Dazed’s Hudson & Powell show, Pure Evil’s solo show ‘the Last Good Time’ and the UK premier of Tarantino associated film ‘Hobo With A Shotgun’. Endeavouring also to provide an eclectic musical programme, artists that have graced XOYO include, Friendly Fires, Digitalism, Jessie J, Mos Def, Jamie xx, The Rapture, James Blake, Benji B, SBTRKT, The Drums & James Murphy.
EVENT LISTINGS:
Whisper Gallery and XOYO present ‘The Boombox Project’ launch night with Das Racist gig
Thursday 1st December at XOYO 32-37 Cowper Street, London EC2A 4AP, 8pm – until late.
Tickets are £12.
Whisper Gallery and XOYO present ‘The Boombox Project’ by Lyle Owerko
Friday 2nd December – Wednesday 7th December
XOYO 32-37 Cowper Street, London EC2A 4AP
Whisper Gallery presents ‘The Boombox Project’ by Lyle Owerko
Friday 9th December – Saturday 14th January (private view 8th December) at Whisper Gallery, 27/28 Eastcastle Street, London W1W 8DH
