| Spazz, a.k.a. Mike Echlin,
knocked the doors down at the Hollywood°s
One Eye with an impressive showing last weekend.
An L.A. resident by way of Toronto, Spazz°s
acrylic-on-canvas pieces reflect a distinct
aesthetic style and pop sensibility. Drawing
from graffiti and graphic arts, he°s produced
a breadth of work that is appealing on a massive
scale.
Many of his pieces are inspired by iconographic
Hollywood "Now and Then" images,
ranging from Sammy Davis Jr. to socialite
and millionaire heiress Paris Hilton. He
also draws deep from skatingÜ the culture
that sparked his initial creative palate
many years ago (with subject matter such
as skate and "Ollie" hero Donger
and a fresh, graphic take on a snowboarder
mid flight). Spazz was a successful skate/snowboard
shop owner in Toronto during the early nineties,
whose store and brand went by the same name.
Spazz°s soft images add a cohesive element
of sensuality to his art. His series of
nudes, in blue, green and pink, are his
most flowing pieces; pure PG-rated erotica
pop (and I mean that with the highest regard).
Luckily, he stays away from the Good n°
Plenty color juxtapositions and Flock of
Seagulls aesthetic of Nagel (the mascot
of every nail/hair salon in North America),
with just enough wry satire and wee bits
of camp.
The party itself was a blast! A healthy
crowd flushed through the space, taking
notice of the large canvases and open bar.
The lucky "many" were also treated
to a sneak peak at the prototype sculpt
for ABT°s Scuba Booty figure,
based on Spazz°s painting of the same name
and due out February 2004.
All in all, the show as a big, fat, wet
success. Spazz was pleased with the turn-out
and overall reaction. One Eye even made
a Candy Striper available for this event,
who showed up much later at Echlin°s home
hawking candy and cigarettes to the after
party crew! A relentless lad he was.
One question remains: How did all the
Jackass guys become fans?
Preston and Kosick flanked Spazz throughout
the night. Taryn Manning and her brother,
and Chad Muska as well?? Great job SpazzÜ
you°ve got some solid fansÞ
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