Bazooka Joe Untitled Stunning Acrylic on Paper Drawing

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About the Item

This acrylic-on-paper painting by Israeli artist Bazooka Joe is a striking composition that blends surrealism, street art, and symbolic storytelling. The work is built upon bold black outlines filled with vibrant hues, creating a dynamic and expressive visual experience. At the center of the painting, a female figure adorned in elaborate, patterned clothing stands prominently. Her eye, appearing mechanical with a gear-like design, suggests themes of automation, surveillance, or an industrial influence on human identity. She reaches upward towards a surreal arch made of abstract, graffiti-like forms, attempting to grasp a small pink object that appears just out of reach. Above this arch, a white dog-like creature stands on a gray hill. Its spiky tail and piercing gaze give it an eerie, otherworldly presence, and it is accompanied by a black six-pointed star floating in the bright yellow sky, which could symbolize Jewish heritage, celestial guidance, or an element of mysticism. Several additional figures inhabit the painting, each with unique visual distortions. A smaller child-like figure with an almost skeletal mouth and darkened eyes appears to be looking upwards, possibly representing innocence, corruption, or an unsettling observer. A winged woman perched on the central figure’s shoulder evokes the image of a guardian angel, a whispering muse, or a burden carried by the larger figure. Another character, appearing as a fragmented musician encased in a frame, strums a stringed instrument, recalling classical portraiture but deconstructed into a chaotic and dreamlike form. The composition speaks to themes of aspiration and struggle, as the reaching gesture of the central figure suggests longing for something unattainable. The presence of mechanical motifs and industrial patterns woven into the figures' designs hints at the intersection of humanity and mechanization, possibly questioning the influence of modernity on personal identity. The surrealistic distortion of facial features and limbs challenges traditional representation, reinforcing a dreamlike or nightmarish quality. The graffiti-like borders further enhance the sense of disorder, possibly alluding to street art culture, urban expression, or subconscious thought. Bazooka Joe’s aesthetic is an electrifying fusion of neo-expressionism, street art, and surrealism, with echoes of Cubist deformation and outsider art. His intricate linework, layered patterns, and bold contrasts create a visually dense and emotionally charged scene that demands close observation. This painting reflects an exploration of identity, existential tension, and cultural memory, inviting viewers to engage with its visual language and construct their own interpretations. The work does not offer a single narrative but rather presents an enigmatic dialogue between its characters, its symbols, and the observer. Bazooka Joe, born Adi Mendel (55), grew up in Bat Yam, the only son of a real estate and car dealer father and a housewife mother. It was a wealthy family that lacked almost nothing - except what a child really needs. Says and does not specify. "My mother would draw. Not for a living, because she did not have to work, but as a hobby. I, perhaps in response to my mother's attitude, could not stand paintings. I hated colors. I did not touch the brush. At the end it is probably in the DNA. When he became a drug addict, his family members, including his brother from his father's late marriage, turned their backs on him. "I had no one to ask for help from, " he says, "so I started breaking the law, mostly on property offenses, to fund the drugs. I did it reluctantly, with great sorrow. 'Forced crime, ' I call it." The drug addiction and crime brought him to a total of six years behind bars, with all this time a tremendous talent hidden deep within him and not knowing how to break out. "I saw death with my own eyes, " says Bazooka Joe, mentioning, once again, how long the distance is between someone who was so close to ending his life in a tiny cell, alone, and someone who is gaining fame today. His talent stood out from the canvas in the eyes of anyone who witnessed his paintings. He asked his stage name from the character on the gum covers. "Bazooka Joe was a sniper in the United States Army and I was a sniper with a paintbrush, " he explains. "Plus, I connect to the naivety of the bright colors." His works also began to make waves among those interested in the field of art. He left the gallery three years ago, after his works were priced at well over a thousand dollars. Among the buyers of Bazooka Joe's art are businessman, controlling shareholder and CEO Castro Gabi Rotter, publicist Rani Rahav and the Wertheimer industrialist family. They are now joined by another satisfied customer - the prison service. Today, Bazooka Joe focuses on art. Addiction to creation has replaced drug addiction, "but it's a good addiction, " he says. To close a circle with his rough past, the artist painted with the approval of the Tel Aviv Municipality on the walls of the Abu Kabir Prison

Dimensions:
Height: 16.54 in (42 cm)Width: 11.82 in (30 cm)Depth: 0.04 in (1 mm)
Style:
Post-Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Acrylic,Paper,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
Israel
Period:
2010-
Date of Manufacture:
2020
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5281243815812

Abstract work on special paper, created using a mixed media technique that includes watercolor, diluted tempera, and ink. The piece clearly belongs to the abstract and expressionist ...

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