At Unframed Art Gallery in Deurne, it has been common for some time to exhibit works by world-renowned graffiti artists. However, starting this Friday, the gallery on Stationsstraat will showcase art by an artist known as the ‘King of Graffiti.’
Guillermo de Louw, owner of Unframed Art Gallery, is particularly proud to have the works of this American legend on display in Deurne. “BLADE is not just any well-known artist; he is the greatest of the great. He is the pioneer of the graffiti world. Back in 1971, he started tagging the insides of buses and the outsides of local postal trucks with markers in the Bronx, New York. Over his lifetime, he has left his artwork on approximately 5,000 trains,” says De Louw.
Making a Good Living
BLADE, whose real name is Steve Ogburn, is also one of the first street artists to have his work featured in museums. “He has truly turned his craft into a profession and has been making a good living from it for years. Nowadays, he lives in Florida in a luxurious home with a swimming pool and other amenities, but despite his enormous fame, he remains very down-to-earth. No ‘attitude’ like you sometimes see with artists,” says Guillermo de Louw.
The gallery owner from Deurne expects a large turnout for the exhibition’s opening on Friday. “BLADE himself has come over from America, which is already a reason for many graffiti fans to attend. Additionally, enthusiasts from Spain, Italy, Australia, and several leading collectors from Paris are coming. This is truly the top of the scene,” explains Guillermo de Louw.
Not the First Time
Although BLADE is a major and world-famous graffiti star, this is not his first time in Deurne. Together with other street artists like Quick and Rammellzee, he used to visit this region frequently due to Henk Pijnenburg’s interest in the New York artist’s work. Pijnenburg was a board member and chairman of the Helmond Visual Arts Foundation, and from 1978 to 1989, he was an advisor for modern art acquisitions for the art collection of Museum Helmond.
“Henk ensured that BLADE’s work gained recognition in our country and ended up in many museums. As a result, he often stayed here in the past and created works in the Netherlands. In 2015, there was an exhibition at Museum De Wieger featuring works by BLADE, Blast, Daze, Quick, Crash, Rammellzee, and Lee. All big names from New York,” says De Louw.
Large Works
Speaking of large, BLADE’s works are also big. “There are also some smaller pieces, but one of them measures 2.75 by 1.70 meters,” says Guillermo. After the exhibition opening on Friday afternoon, the American legend’s graffiti will be on display at Unframed Art Gallery in Deurne for three months. “That is longer than usual for an exhibition, but we are dealing with the work of a very significant graffiti artist.”
Eventually, the intention is to sell some of the works, explains De Louw: “We are not a museum but a gallery. Some collectors will already be looking at the opening, and we also sell a lot through our website. Interested buyers can always make an appointment to visit us, and this Friday we will be open for the exhibition opening from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM.” Unframed Art Gallery is located at Stationsstraat 37 in Deurne.