TikTok gets tangible: artist Devon Rodriguez opens his first exhibition, in New York
Devon Rodriguez, who until now has reserved his work for his 31 million TikTok followers, has opened his first exhibition at UTA Artist Space’s pop-up gallery in Chelsea, New York
![people on the subway, part of Devon Rodriguez ‘Underground’ exhibition New York](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BsLdPNt5f6oEHM5yDYBmm3-415-80.jpg)
Digital art enters the real world in the first exhibition from South Bronx-based artist Devon Rodriguez. ‘Underground’ translates Rodriguez’s fascination with figurative art into works which play with our perceptions, in an intertwining of traditional form and contemporary references.
Devon Rodriguez, Chamber St, 2023
Included here is 'Subway Series’, his hyper-realist paintings of passengers on the New York subway. ‘Coming from an impoverished background in the South Bronx, the subway has always been an accessible space to me,’ says Rodriguez. ‘When I started this series, all I had was a free Metro card from high school and some paper and a pencil to engage in my artistic practice. I’m fascinated with the idea of accessibility, probably because of the lack of it that I had growing up as a Latino in an inner-city neighbourhood. The accessibility is what drives me when it comes to social media.'
‘Underground’, Devon Rodriguez, New York
Devon Rodriguez, Brooklyn Bridge City Hall, 2023
‘Graffiti was one of my first introductions to art. It was the art form that was being created around me in the Bronx. The idea that I love most about graffiti is the freedom. These brave artists put their work out there. There’s a parallel that I draw from graffiti to social media. The idea of putting a piece of art out into the world instantly and getting an emotional response thrills me. Many people respond to my work in the digital space, so it’s exciting to finally place my works in a gallery space for people to experience live.’
Devon Rodriguez, Oxford Circus, 2023
Rodriguez, who has until now shared his work on social media – the world’s most-followed visual artist, he has 31 million followers on TikTok alone – has now embraced a criss-cross of cultural references. The new exhibition, held at UTA Artist Space’s pop-up gallery in Chelsea, New York, has been produced with creative studio PlayLab, which has created an immersive backdrop for the pieces. It marks the culmination for an artist who was recognised by the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery as a worthy finalist in 2019, before turning to social media to showcase his work in the absence of traditional gallery connections.
Devon Rodriguez, Charles de Gaulle-Étoile, 2023
‘As an artist, I like to think of myself as a documentarian of contemporary people and culture,’ adds Rodriguez of this juxtaposition. ‘Sometimes I use pencil, sometimes I use oil, and sometimes I use video. I think of my short-form video content as part of my artistic practice. It’s another medium. In my latest self-portrait [here], I make a statement about myself in relation to my practice and it’s my most ambitious work to date. I painted myself creating art amongst everyday people. This work embodies a unique mixture of technology, culture, traditionalism, documentation and more. The goal was to create old master-esque works that give consideration to the digital age. In this work, my studio is the subway, and my platform is digital. The excitement comes from when these dynamics all play off of each other.’
facebook.com/devonrodriguezart
Devon Rodriguez, ‘Underground’ will be on view until 30 September 2023 at UTA Artist Space’s pop-up gallery in Chelsea, New York at High Line Nine, 507 W 27th St
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Alexander May, founder of LA studio Sized, on the joys of creative polymathy
Creative director Alexander May tells us of the multidisciplinary approach that drives his LA studio Sized and its offspring, a 5,000 sq ft event space and an exhibition series
By Hannah Silver Published
-
50 of America’s top creatives, photographed by Inez & Vinoodh
Photographed exclusively for Wallpaper* by Inez & Vinoodh, we present a portfolio of 50 creatives driving the current discourse on American culture and its dynamic evolution
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Nona Faustine confronts the past in New York
Artist Nona Faustine reframes New York's colonial past in an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum
By Hannah Silver Published
-
How the west won: Ivan McClellan is amplifying the intrepid beauty of Black cowboy culture
In his new book, 'Eight Seconds: Black Cowboy Culture', Ivan McClellan draws us into the world of Black rodeo. Wallpaper* meets the photographer ahead of his Juneteenth Rodeo
By Tracy Kawalik Published
-
Casa Bosques’ queer-themed book curation comes to New York’s East Village
In Pride Month 2024, Casa Bosques’ pop-up bookstore in The Standard hotel, East Village, offers a stylish haven for literary mavens
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘Very few museums were interested in my work until recently’: Amalia Mesa-Bains on her first-ever retrospective
‘Amalia Mesa-Bains: Archaeology of Memory’ is a long-overdue exhibition at El Museo del Barrio in New York celebrating five decades of the trailblazing Chicanx artist
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Frieze New York 2024: what to see in and around the city
Frieze New York 2024 (until Sunday 5 May) sees the city’s ample spring season programming celebrated at The Shed
By Osman Can Yerebakan Published
-
Calling NYC grads! Sarabande Foundation invites you to an industry masterclass to pave way into the creative world
‘What Now?’ by Sarabande Foundation is a post-college guide to support graduates in making their next steps, with advice from the likes of Burberry, Thom Browne, and more
By Tianna Williams Published