fbpx
Rammellzee: The Subversive Philosophy of ‘Gothic Futurism’ Arrives in LA cover

Rammellzee: The Subversive Philosophy of ‘Gothic Futurism’ Arrives in LA

In the 1970s, New York City was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, a city reeling from extreme unemployment, arson, and depopulation. Emerging from the generation who came of age during this decade, legendary graffiti artist Rammellzee captured the city’s decayed aesthetic in thick layers of epoxy resin and discarded riffraff.

Now on view at Los Angeles’ Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, Rammellzee’s Gothic Futurism surveys the artist’s eclectic output over three decades, from his early start in A-train graffiti to his developing fine art, performance, and fashion practice. Titled after Rammellzee’s personal philosophy, Gothic Futurism illuminates the artist’s subversive style, a marriage of anti-establishment lettering, shamanism, and medieval history.

Legendary graffiti writer and fine artist Rammellzee receives a three-decade retrospective at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in Los Angeles.
‘Memory’

Rammellzee developed his idiosyncratic philosophy after hearing the story of a medieval monk who developed a script so ornate it was deemed unreadable and eventually banned by higher ups. In Rammellzee’s mind, this story confirmed lettering as a potentially rebellious form of art, capable of liberating language from intrinsic power structures. His philosophy, “Gothic Futurism,” is named for its medieval influence—Gothic—and the artist’s preoccupation with post-apocalyptic sci-fi fantasies.

Including DIY sculptural sets, painterly assemblages, and full-body suits of armor, Gothic Futurism is on view at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in the Hollywood arts district. For more information, please visit their website here.

Gothic Futurism illuminates the artist’s subversive style, a marriage of anti-establishment lettering, shamanism, and medieval history.

‘The Assassination of Guttenberg’
Legendary graffiti writer and fine artist Rammellzee receives a three-decade retrospective at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in Los Angeles.
‘Alpha Positive/Lords Minus’
‘Sign of All Life’
‘Sports Corner’
Legendary graffiti writer and fine artist Rammellzee receives a three-decade retrospective at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in Los Angeles.
‘Bellsky’
Legendary graffiti writer and fine artist Rammellzee receives a three-decade retrospective at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in Los Angeles.
‘Donati Figure’

Jeffrey Deitch: Website | Instagram

Morgan  Laurens 

Morgan Laurens (she/her/hers) is NOT REAL ART’s editor in chief. Morgan is an arts writer from the Midwest who enjoys saying “excuse me” when no actual pardon is needed. She specializes in grant writing and narrative-based storytelling for mission-driven artists and arts organizations. With a background in printmaking, pop culture, and classic literature, Morgan believes a girl’s best friend is the pile of books on her bedside table.

>
0 Shares
Email
Tweet
Share
Pin
Share
Flip
Buffer
WhatsApp