Martinez Gallery is pleased to present the first solo exhibition of LES, featuring Ft. OKER & DESA. This show is something of a comeback for LES, after he was severely injured falling from an elevated J train station 10 years ago.
The work is fresh and strong, and, in many ways, it proves that you can have writing and bombing (in the graffiti sense) inside the gallery walls and still maintain the same intensity, impact, and meaning that you would have on the streets or trains. That could be, perhaps, because our gallery, devoted mainly to writing and graffiti art, is located within the context of a clinic for youth in West Harlem, an environment that seems natural for this kind of artistic intervention, still a public display and still free for all to see. Perhaps, in addition, the collaboration with Ft. OKER & DESA contributes to this vitality and creativity. Whatever might be the case, LES feels at home here, and his painting seems vibrant and current.  

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