'Summer Burners' at Artists & Makers Studios: ChrisRWK

Apparently, love is not always the answer.

ChrisRWK (Robots Will Kill) is an artist who is inspired by his childhood comics from the 1980s, popular culture as presented on TV, movies and books, and by chance encounters. He takes the images produced in the media, processes and stores them in his mental "cache," and creates his own language out of them, expressed in his artwork. In 2001, Chris founded Robots Will Kill, a popular website that collects and presents the work of graffiti artists across the world. Chris will be presenting his work at "Summer Burners," opening June 3, 2016 at Artists & Makers Studios in Rockville, MD.

1. How would you describe your work?

My work can be described as a healthy mix of illustration, graffiti, layers and the raising of questions. The layers tell of the history and time that has passed. The content usually relates to the everyday person that you walk by each day. They are the people who have a story to tell, something to say, but you just don’t know it because the encounter is so brief. So, my aim is to make the viewer look at these people and start to wonder what their story is.

2. What is the function of street art?

For me, it's always been a way to invite anyone to enjoy art and not just the people who can afford to collect artwork. 

3. How do you think your work will translate to a gallery setting?

I've always liked that in a gallery setting, "street" work is put directly in front of people — the same people that would most likely walk past it on the street and not care to look at it. I feel that my work creates a discussion with the viewers and helps them to realize that what they've walked past a number of times could be considered art. 

Artists & Makers Studios is presenting two shows for the month of June 2016:
"Summer Burners" (Graffiti) and "Best of the Art Leagues" (Work by the Art League of Germantown)
Opening Reception (for both) 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Friday, June 3, 2016
Artists & Makers Studios is located at 11810 Parklawn Dr. Suite 210 Rockville, MD 20852

'Summer Burners' at Artists & Makers Studios: Victor Ving

Victor Ving, a Chinese-American artist born and raised in New York City, will be presenting his work in a show titled Summer Burners at Artists and Makers Studios in Rockville, Maryland alongside 36 other graffiti writers and street artists. The show runs from June 3 to June 23, 2016. Since May 2015, Victor, who is inspired by 1940s postcards and mid-century modern design, has been traveling across the U.S. in an RV as part of the Greetings Tour project, painting onsite large-scale postcard murals of major cities across the country.

1. How would you describe your work?

I think that the medium of spray paint (especially water-based spray paint) is a technology of my generation that really defines the aesthetic of modern "graffiti/street art." I always try to incorporate spray paint into my canvas pieces even though it's a medium/tool that's not formally taught in art schools. I feel that it's an important aspect of my artwork. For this particular piece in the show, I wanted to tie in the Greetings Tour project (I have been traveling the country for a year in a RV painting large letter murals - http://greetingstour.com)

2. What is the function of street art?

These days, people seem to call any kind of exterior mural or something done with spray paint "street art." I don't always agree with this. I think that true street art is done without permission and without the intent of making a profit at the end of the day. Also, staying completely anonymous is an important aspect for me. That said, I wouldn't even consider what I do "street art" but more "public art." I consider artists like REVS and READ MORE BOOKS as the true street artists of our generation.

3. How do you think your work will translate to a gallery setting?

I came from a background of graffiti, which really taught me to work quickly and on a large scale. To this day, it's still very hard for me to try to constrict my artwork to a small scale. I never went to art school and taught myself through graffiti. Personally, I got tired of just writing my name over and over again, so I decided to do something more positive with my time, which is how I came up with the Greetings Tour (http://greetingstour.com) project. As of now, I'm not actively looking to enter the world of fine art in a gallery setting, but if it happens as a natural progression, I'm open to it in the future.

Artists & Makers Studios is presenting two shows for the month of June 2016:
"Summer Burners" (Graffiti) and "Best of the Art Leagues" (Work by the Art League of Germantown)
Opening Reception (for both) 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Friday, June 3, 2016
Artists & Makers Studios is located at 11810 Parklawn Dr. Suite 210 Rockville, MD 20852