Slap in the Face: a Tribute to Sticker and Graffiti Art, heralds the rise of sticker art, which has evolved as a byproduct of street art, a movement from the 1970′s that has since become a global phenomenon.
The stickers featured are at times derogatory, humorous, refined, or crass; while some are eulogies, others are as straight forward as tagging one’s name. Specially adopted for the ease of vandalism, their fast and low impact appeal is a cost effective solution to other riskier methods of graffiti such as; spray paint, wheat-pasting, scribing, and etching. The peel-and-slap of sticker art allows the artist time to develop and detail their final product. The goal is to inform an often unwilling participant/viewer, alter the landscape, impact social consciousness and gain recognition by other street artists. To succeed is to proliferate an area of graffiti with high-quality images or text, the more stickers, the more dominance. More than a call for infamy, sticker art effectively presents a concise, transitory, democratic and accessible form of art, and addresses topics such as: ownership, social hierarchy, socioeconomic politics, and artistic boundaries. Work is often a declaration. Ultimately, the most compelling motivation behind sticker slapping may be the earnest desire to show presence, to exist, to locate oneself; to be heard in an environment in which resists it. —Pablo de Pinho
Pablo: What sparked the idea for this sticker show?
Jordan Ayoub: I originally came to this galley with a completely different proposal tying a bunch of different subjects to one overlying theme and showcasing that theme in art form. That initial proposal however was too broad, so I decided to come back with an entirely new proposal and new theme. Then I came across a sticker book through Michael Kershnar called “Stickers: Stuck-Up Piece of Crap: From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art.” In that book, there was a picture of a lobby covered in dozens of hand-styles that were xeroxed and turned into wall paper for this hotel in New York. I thought that that concept was so rad, and being submersed in San Francisco’s profound graffiti culture; I felt that the concept to cover the entire gallery in stickers had to be done.
Who are some of the featured graffiti artists?
There are probably close to a hundred different writers that I, along with the help from a few friends, curated. But some of the names you will find in the show are Vegan, Toro, Erupto, Dlae, Diet, Jade, Jaut, Bvrs, Enor, Jenks, Metro, Kode, Sector, Charm, and many many more.
How did you get everything together for the show? Did you meet up with all the writers?
There were definitely a lot of errands to be ran back and forth communicating and meeting up with people etc. The majority of the stickers were picked up by hand from friends and friends of friends. But some, due to inaccessibility and inconvenience had to be mailed in.
What is to be expected? Are there any cool installations?
You can expect to see a ton of stickers, that’s for sure. But there are a couple of newspaper bins that I attained that will be a part of the show along with some fine art that will be displayed on the far side of the gallery. All is sticker/graffiti related. All is rad.
How much controversy is there for making this show? Being that the show will be held at a University, and that many people consider graffiti a crime.
Not necessarily much controversy, rather surprise. This show is quite the opposite from what is normally displayed at this gallery. That being, it will bring a new crowd and more exposure to the gallery. I hope that the gallery is ready for the demographic of people that this show will generate. It won’t be like any other show they’ve ever had, that’s for sure.
Is this the beginning for you? Will you be hosting more events like this in the future?
I’d like to think this is the beginning; this whole process has been really fun and quite the experience. I would love to host more shows like this one. In fact, the gallery and I have already sparked conversation about me hosting another show, so keep your eyes peeled. Whether it’s with this gallery or another, I will love to do this again.
Any shout outs and acknowledgments you would like to give out?
Yes, I would like to give a couple of shout outs to the people that played a huge role in making this possible and being so supportive. One of which, to the ‘Dungeon Master’ Vegan. Without his support, contributions, and name behind all of this, this show would definitely not have been as successful as it turned out to be. Big-ups to you, my friend. I would also like to shout out my boys Sueños, and Enor- both huge contributors and supporters of the show and in the aid of making this possible. Many thanks. And last but not least, Kershnar-das, the beginning of it all. If it weren’t for the connections you’ve hooked me up with, none of this would have even happened. Thank you for all the rad times and experiences you’ve shared with me. I’m truly grateful.
Opening Reception Friday January 27th from 5pm to 8pm
Run time from
January 19th to February 15, 2012
At The Art Gallery—SFSU
1650 Holloway Ave
San Francisco, CA
From The Citrus Report
