if television is your God,
is Jesus the remote control?
DAVE
THE CHIMP:
if television is your God,
is Jesus the remote control?
The Biokip Gallery opens its doors from the 7-4 to the 30-4
to host the works of Dave the Chimp, one of the leading figures of the whole
street art movement, in an expo titled “If Television is your God, is
Jesus the Remote Control?”.
An expo promising to make us think.
When Dave the Chimp started working in the streets a decade ago, his work was designed to make people think. It was of the utmost importance to him to jolt the zombies out of the everyday life that they expected, and to engage their minds. One of the ways he approached this was to paint images based around religion. The streets around his studio would regularly play host to angels and devils, robot gods, and Jesus riding a skateboard. What did the viewers of these creations think? Did they wonder if a religious nut was on the loose? Did they consider that maybe God was watching them, or that the second coming would be borne on the back of a skateboard?
It was some years later, while reviewing his earlier work, that the Chimp realised his images of a carefree skateboarding Jesus, and a bald-headed angry God were representations of himself and his father. Though simple and cartoon like, his artwork often has a deeper meaning, something which even the Chimp doesn't always see at first.
In todays art world, concept is king - something the Chimp sees as separating art from the majority of viewers. Why should you have to read an essay before you understand the art? Isn't it better to present ideas in a simple way, and leave the rest up to the mind of the viewer? If you're told what to think, then where is the space for your own thoughts? The Chimp aims to create art that is a launch pad for your own thoughts and feelings.
For his first solo show at Biokip gallery in Milan, the Chimp will be returning to the theme of religion in a show titled "If Television Is Your God, Is Jesus The Remote Control?". He aims to create a show that requires your participation. So switch off your television, switch on your brain, and come visit the show.
