Rowdy

All City Crocks, bsp;2009. Mixed media on canvas, 91 x 107cm. 

Paris in the 1920's 2007, spray paint, acrylic on canvas, 61 x 45.5 cm

Never Smile At A Crocodile 

(Solo exhibition) 
4 - 27 June, 2009

In his first major London solo show the King of Crocs Well, first up, Rowdy's got a solo show opening on the 4th June running through to the 27 th June 2009. 

Expect to see Rowdy's unique take on urban living and landscape in the form of his legendary boulders, abstract cityscapes and of course the ubiquitous crocs. 
Bricks and mortar may mean money and mortgages to some but Rowdy prefers his building blocks in their raw state. 

‘The local quarry provides the bedrock for our roads and cities' says the artist. ‘I hit the rocks before they reach their destiny of becoming our new urban spaces'. Simultaneously caveman-esque and contemporary, the cartoon monoliths have been described as ‘Ren & Stimpy meets Goldsworthy'. Their arrival in the urban landscape provides jarring juxtaposition.

His Cityscape paintings show Skyscrapers constructed out of the tiniest marks a spray can make, reminiscent of T.S Lowry's ‘matchstick men', combined with 1980's graffiti fades. Some are hectic, others more meditative. Highly sought after, this accomplished series offers nuances and subtleties both in style and substance, often somewhat lacking in today's saturated street art market.

Continuing the narrative of City versus The Ancient; Rowdy's trademark crocodiles are often huge in scale and are indicative of the playful nature of the imagery in his work, and long may we continue to see these King-sized crocs attacking our walls and lurking in the concrete swamps. The last few years have seen him collaborate with cohorts Cyclops & Sweet Toof resulting in one of the most widespread bombing campaigns seen in the UK 's capital in the last decade.

While many people prefer to invest their time and money into bricks and mortar, Rowdy prefers to squat houses and paint large rocks. The local quarry provides the foundation for our roads and cities. Somehow painting these rocks transcends times. On the one hand it's “caveman-esque” while on the other it's being ahead of the game, hitting them before they become…the new urban space.

Rowdy probably is best known for his line in crocodiles, he now continues this activity alongside fellow members of the Burning Candy Crew – Cyclops, Sweet Toof and Tek33.

‘Don't be taken in by his welcome grin, he's imagining how well you'd fit within his skin…'

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