Vaughn Bodé's Junkwaffel was apparently released to compile his unpublished early
stories,
and for that reason it is an essential
title for Bodé’s fans and comic devotee’s. So what better
name to use for this show! Junkwaffel - The Art of Mark Bodé &
Cheo.
Mark
Bodé
Son of the legendary cartoonist Vaughn
Bodé, Mark attended The Art School in Oakland,
California. His first professional job was
for Heavy Metal Magazine when he was asked to color
his father's black and white strip named
‘Zooks’. The First Lizard in Orbit when he was fifteen.
He was a fine art major at The School of
Visual Arts in New York City and studied animation and
etching at San Francisco State
University. His
publications include Gyro Comics, Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles, Cobalt 60 (the graphic
novel), GWAR comics and Lizard Of Oz.
In the near 30 years of Mark's professional
career as an artist, Marks work has appeared in
Heavy Metal, Epic magazine, Penthouse,
Hustler, Gauntlet Magazine, While You Were Sleeping,
Graphotism, among many, many other
magazines and comics. He has had articles featuring his
work in the New York Times, San Francisco
Chronicle, Juxtapoz and Tabu Tattoo. Marks work has
been exhibited in the New Museum of
Contemporary Art in New York,
the Psychedelic Solution
Gallery in New York, Upper Playground
Gallery in San Francisco, and has had art shows abroad in
Berlin, Milan and Barcelona. Vaughns work
will be on display for the first time in the UK and for sale
along with Mark Bodé and legendary graffiti
artist, Cheo.
Cheo
Bodé's style is clearly visible in the
early adaptation from illustration to graffiti. Many of the young
writers from the mid eighties drew on the
fresh style created by Bodé, with the angular knuckle
joints (similar to the letter forms),
doughy simple line art, and the some what ‘hazed’ look of a
little character named ‘Deadzone’, was a
true inspiration for inner city kids.
Cheo is one of these 80’s graffiti artists,
that have been inspired by Bodé's style of illustration, not
just for the character styles, but for the
attitude and freshness of the narrative and meaning of
Bodé’s comic strips. Cheo was not only a
graffiti writer but also an avid comic reader, the musty
smell of comics from the Forever People
comic store, still lingers around his old beak. A self
proclaimed freak who constantly sketches
individual and twisted characters from deep within his
stoopid brain and has done since he was
born - to his Mother’s dismay! After nearly 30 years of
spraying characters, creating comics and
working on exhibitions in based France,
China,
Abu Dhabi and the UK, we are excited these
two artzilla’s can finally come together and work
on a joint exhibition in London.
This exhibition is a walk through
acknowledgement to Bodé's influence on the graffiti and comic
book world. It will be one show, not to be
missed by all...apart from Cheo’s mum!
Cheo’s Mum: “It’s about time he grew up and got a proper job!”
SOKER: “Some might say that Cheo is like
the modern day David Niven of the graffiti world, a red
blooded lathario and probably the worlds
most virtuous, sauve, debonaire and the most beautifull
quafered men of modern times”
JUNKWAFFEL
The
Art of Mark Bodé & Cheo
Preview:
Thursday 21st November 6pm
London
West Bank Gallery
133
- 137 Westbourne Grove
London
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