Abstract Remix

Abstract Remix

Codak Smith, Form and Folly. Codak Smith, Form and Folly (detail), 2021. Aerosol spray paint on hardboard, seasoned wood, acrylic latex paint on wall, video projection, and audio. Photo: Sarah Ondak.. Photo: Sarah Ondak.

Overview

Abstract Remix

September 30, 2021 - January 24, 2022

Mary LeFlore Clements Oklahoma Gallery

Admission is always free; tickets are not required

Abstract Remix brought mural artists Rhiana Deck, Codak Smith, Kalee Jones W., and May Yang to the Mary LeFlore Clements Oklahoma Gallery, connecting Oklahoma Contemporary’s downtown home to the iconic mural arts landscape evolving across the city. Deck, Smith, Jones W., and Yang have developed a mural painting practice that builds on the legacies of Abstract Expressionism, yet are distinct in style and unique to Oklahoma City.

From cave paintings to Renaissance frescos, from Mexican muralismo to graffiti writing, murals have been both the first evidence and a continually evolving assertion of human creative expression. Murals constitute the largest public art programs in the United States. Recently, Oklahoma City has enjoyed a resurgence in this art form; local artists have been commissioned to enhance buildings, streets and entire city districts with their murals.

Deck, Jones, Smith, and Yang stand out for their distinct preference for abstraction over figuration or portraiture. Works by Abstract Expressionist artists such as Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko and Robert Motherwell led to both the critical and commercial dominance of art from the United States post-World War II, yet this type of abstraction is not typically expected in mural form. Abstract Remix brought together individual yet complementary aesthetics that illustrated the many ways abstract painting has informed contemporary mural art practice.

Abstract Remix celebrated murals and presented an opportunity for audiences to consider how this major artistic medium art practice is shaping Oklahoma’s shared cultural landscape. The murals designed and painted specifically for the walls of the Oklahoma Gallery provided a concentrated swatch of the larger fabric of Oklahoma City, which was named by USA Today as Best City for Street Art in 2021 — “a veritable outdoor gallery.” By placing these typically public works indoors, the exhibition invites the public to a visual conversation on how Oklahoma Contemporary is integrated within the larger panorama of Oklahoma City’s cultural and artistic growth.


This exhibition was supported by Heartland Payment Systems, Anonymous, Annie Bohanon, Cox Communications, Leslie and Cliff Hudson, The Kanady Family, George Records, Glenna and Richard Tanenbaum and Velocigo.

In Progress: Abstract Remix

About the Artist

Deck Rhiana
Rhiana Deck, live painting. Rhiana Deck, live painting. Photo courtesy the artist.. Photo courtesy the artist.

About the Artist

Jones Kalee
Kalee Jones W. Kalee Jones W., headshot. Photo by A.J. Stegall.. Photo by A.J. Stegall.

About the Artist

Smith Codak
Codak Smith, live painting. Codak Smith, live painting. Photo courtesy the artist.. Photo courtesy the artist.

About the Artist

Yang May
May Yang. May Yang, headshot. Photo by Alexis Newton.. Photo by Alexis Newton.

Selected Artworks

IMG 4340 web res
Kalee Jones W., Fruit Forward with Nice Dancey Dance.
Yang
May Yang, Untitled.
Deck
Rhiana Deck, Adapt.
Smith
Codak Smith, Form and Folly.

Images

  • Codak Smith, Form and Folly. Codak Smith, Form and Folly (detail), 2021. Aerosol spray paint on hardboard, seasoned wood, acrylic latex paint on wall, video projection, and audio. Photo: Sarah Ondak.. Photo: Sarah Ondak.
  • Rhiana Deck, live painting. Rhiana Deck, live painting. Photo courtesy the artist.. Photo courtesy the artist.
  • Kalee Jones W. Kalee Jones W., headshot. Photo by A.J. Stegall.. Photo by A.J. Stegall.
  • Codak Smith, live painting. Codak Smith, live painting. Photo courtesy the artist.. Photo courtesy the artist.
  • May Yang. May Yang, headshot. Photo by Alexis Newton.. Photo by Alexis Newton.
  • Kalee Jones W., Fruit Forward with Nice Dancey Dance. Kalee Jones W., Fruit Forward with Nice Dancey Dance (detail), 2021. Acrylic latex paint on pencil on wall. Photo: Sarah Ondak.. Photo: Sarah Ondak.
  • May Yang, Untitled. May Yang, Untitled (detail), 2021. Acrylic latex paint on paint marker on wall. Photo: Sarah Ondak.. Photo: Sarah Ondak.
  • Rhiana Deck, Adapt. Rhiana Deck, Adapt (detail), 2021. Aerosol spray paint and acrylic on hardboard. Photo: Sarah Ondak.. Photo: Sarah Ondak.

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