Art

Shows, Walls, & Work Inspired by the Novels

“The Art of All Involved” Show (2016)

To celebrate the release of the U.S. paperback of All Involved for Ecco/HarperCollins, as well as to honor all the amazing art that went into the marketing & promotion of the book worldwide, a party was held at United Talent Agency in Beverly Hills to showcase original works by UGLARworks‘ artists, Chaz Bojorquez, Chuey Quintanar, & more. This was the first Los Angeles showing for many of the pieces displayed in the London 1-Night Only Show. Pieces include: “Ernie’s Last Ride” by Evan Skrederstu with Steve Martinez (2015); “All Involved” by Chaz Bojorquez (2014); “Seal” by Chuey Quintanar (2015).

“Six Days” Mural (2016)

Created by Evan Skrederstu & Christopher D. Brand of UGLARworks, this mural was installed at L’Age d’Or in the 14th arrondissement—Paris’s Chinatown. This piece celebrates the translated French publication of All Involved, a.k.a. Six Jours (Six Days; translated by Nicolas Richard) from Fayard. This brushwork mural was completed in six days and features sparrows—from intensely lean & stylized to multi-layered & detailed—carrying a volatile city-in-a-bottle, lit like a molotov cocktail, & on the verge of exploding. Those flames ignite moths trying to escape the tumult. (Above photos © Laurence Pierrain-Mateudi & Evan Skrederstu, 2015)

“Special Dedication” Lobby Commission & Install (2015)

Created by Christopher Brand, Steve Martinez, & Evan Skrederstu and installed in the lobby of the Pan Macmillan building in London to celebrate the UK book launch of All Involved, “Special Dedication” is a psychological portrait that features a character from the novel, Payasa, and depicts a scene in which she attends a party under the influence of PCP; all so she can find and shoot the young man whom she believes killed her older brother, Ernesto. Installed by Evan Skrederstu of UGLARworks in June of 2015, the 5′ by 11′ acrylic on canvas painting was commissioned for installation by Picador (an imprint of Pan Macmillan UK), the publisher of All Involved.

All Involved London Event (2015)

Fellow Picador author David Whitehouse (The Long Forgotten) hosted a 1 night-only pop up art & literary event in East London sponsored by Shortlist Magazine to celebrate the publication of All Involved. Surrounded by art drawing inspiration from Los Angeles & the 1992 riots, the evening included a reading of Trouble’s section in the novel, an audience Q&A, and a book signing. The gallery featured the works of artists Evan Skrederstu, Christopher Brand, & Steve Martinez of UGLARworks; Chuey Quintanar (whose piece previously appeared in “Time: Tattoo Art Today” at Somerset House); Chaz Bojorquez (who designed the lettering of the book’s title, which was painted on the wall during installation in London by Evan Skrederstu); Jondix; Deno; Michael Alvarez; and Toshi of Dog State. Photos © Charlotte Manners Photography.

“L.A. Stories Project” Mural (2013)

Although not inspired by a novel, this mural was the first official large-scale project for Ryan Gattis as a member of UGLAR. Created Evan Skrederstu, Christopher Brand, Steve Martinez, & Ryan Gattis, this was an experimental UGLARworks‘ mural in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood that aimed to tell true stories of life in Los Angeles. It was hoped that it would be a collaborative storytelling endeavor done in partnership with city residents—combining the power of people, art, technology, and the city. The premise of the project was for citizens to share their stories, & UGLAR would put them on walls as fusions of art & code. In this way, it was hoped that each mural would stand not simply as public art, but also as a digital literature installation made possible by the inclusion of these QR codes. (However, it may well have been too early, and the educational curve may have been too high, seeing as how this was some years before the average phone camera could instantly recognize QR codes and open links.) Photos © Sam Price-Waldman.

Book-Related Art (2005 & 2015)

Ryan Gattis designed the original cover of the first edition trade paperback of Kung Fu High School for Sceptre (Hodder & Stoughton, UK, 2005) by hand, and commissioned the font (© Angie Reynoso); special edition covers of All Involved featuring a font by the Godfather of West Coast Graffiti, Chaz Bojorquez; Gattis created the initial concept for the L.A. County Seal & commissioned Chuey Quintanar‘s version.