REVIEWS
(^110) | APRIL 2016
WHAT WE ARE READING
FEMALE WARRIORS & LIMITED EDITIONS
POSE
“I came to art from graffiti, and not the other
way around.” That simple declaration sets
the tone at the beginning of POSE’s new
monograph, creating an overview for the bold
and colorful paintings that follow. POSE has
always been an artist who knows balance,
whether deconstructing narratives in his
paintings or creating novel experiments in color
blocking and abstraction. What’s important in
this new title is the peek into his process and
execution, where the Chicago-based artist
finds inspiration and reinterprets subject matter
into a surreal dreamscape. The book also
shows his capacity for collaboration, in murals
painted with contemporaries such as Revok
and Dabs Myla, which demonstrates how POSE
can take his work into unexpected places
to find an authentic voice. The monograph
features over 50 paintings that POSE has
completed in recent years, along with studio
practice and street pieces. Produced in a
limited edition of 1500 copies, the book
includes special prints, such as a hand-pulled,
one-color “Color Study” screen print signed by
the artist. —Evan Pricco
gingkopress.com
CARGO IN THE BLOOD
BY NINE INCH NAILS AND
RUSSELL MILLS
I would argue that Nine Inch Nails may be
one of the most artistically credible popular
bands in the history of music. Taking a dark
industrial sound, with a visual aesthetic of
futuristic desolation, NIN leader Trent Reznor
can channel a Matthew Barney dystopia better
than anyone. Knowing their iconic nature
precedes any project, the band and long-time
collaborator and artist Russell Mills went super
ambitious with the special release of Cargo In
The Blood, a deluxe, limited edition, “320-
page book collecting all of the works the artist
created for Nine Inch Nails’ Hesitation Marks
album.” With a limited run of 2000 copies (at a
well-priced 300 dollars, all details considered,
boasting over 11 pounds of content and box-
set quality), each volume of Cargo includes
an original painting by Mills that was created
specifically for the project. Reznor has always
been an artist who understands how a full
experience can enhance music, and Cargo is a
sharp statement proving that bands who make
special projects for their fans continue to thrive
in 2016’s musical landscape. —EP
cargointheblood.com
THE DIRTYLAND
BY BRIAN VIVEROS
As a kid, you probably visited a local Playland,
Fairyland, or the official mecca, Disneyland.
But where to go now for a little good, clean
fun? The Dirtyland, of course. Trimmed in
gold, interfaced with blooming black roses,
it is portrayed in this dark fantasy of a book,
existing in the shadows, but with a wink. The
army of female warriors who stare—not quite
glare—sloe-eyed, from the pages are the
singular subjects lovingly painted by Brian
Viveros and collected in this book published
by our friends at Thinkspace Gallery. These
powerful subjects literally wear many hats
and weather storms with lashes full and red
lipstick intact. Viveros has legions of fans who
will linger over the glossy pages of portraits
conveying that love just might be a battlefield,
but what’s a little blood sprinkled here and
there? An array of candid photos of the artist
and his adoring family and friends portray the
ties that bind—in a good, clean kind of fun.
—Gwynned Vitello
thinkspacegallery.com