exhibitions

for immediate release


“Provenance; nice guy convention”
October 25 - November 15, 2003

Works by: Victor Gastelum
opening reception: Saturday, October 25, 2003; 7PM - 11PM.
With special guest: duet performance by CALEXICO

OVERTONES presents "Provenance; nice guy convention" an exhibition of works by artist Victor Gastelum.

Victor Gastelum is a native Southern Californian: growing up with Chicano roots in a culturally diverse community became a central issue in the choices Victor makes in creating his visual imagery. Victor's lowrider cars and Mexican wrestlers are among the images that have been born within the aesthetic traditions of Chicano visual history but carry a very personal and unique mark of Victor's masterful command of the hybrid of spray pant and stencil cut from acetate film. Most of the stencils are sprayed on aluminum, heavy drawing paper or heavy card stock holographic paper and due to the spray paint stencil technique no two prints are alike.

Victor began his art making with punk flyers for such punk legends as Dead Kennedy's, D.R.I. and Black Flag. This evolved into creating covers for SST Records and collaborating with artists like Raymond Pettibon. While at SST Records, Victor also began doing cover art for the band Calexico, who have commissioned him for all of their albums to date. The founding members of Calexico will also share the occasion of Victor's solo show opening by doing a special duet performance at OVERTONES on Saturday, October 25, 2003.

Victor's stencils envision urban Chicano style-lowriders, spray-can graffiti placas and cholo gear-stuff of everyday divinity that has made Victor himself an urban legend among his peers.

OVERTONES is a creative venue that supports and promotes visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the diversity of Los Angeles communities, social responsibility and good times. OVERTONES is dedicated to searching outside the confines of established art institutions and presenting work that has the potential to engage a wide range of audiences.

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