Tag Archives: Jeff Soto

Jeff Soto, The Sotofish Society, at Jonathan LeVine Gallery

The Magic Message
The Magic Message By Jeff Soto (All Photos By Gail)

Can you believe it’s been four years since Jeff Soto’s previous exhibit at Jonathan Levine Gallery? You know who reminded me of that fact? Jeff Soto! So crazy! I had engaged Jeff at the reception for The Sotofish Society, which opened September 10th, to say Hey and tell him how much I loved his Oreo Cookie Subway Ad (praise which he graciously received), and comment on my excitement that he has continued to incorporate favorite identifying motifs from Decay and Overgrowth in this new body of work, and he was like, “That was four years ago.” Point: it seemed much more recent to me. Anyway, Jeff is a super nice guy who will take the time to have a personal conversation with fans at his shows, and his wife Jennifer is also very nice. Jeff Soto!

Guanajuato Mask
Guanajuato Mask

White Ghost
White Ghost

Winter Nights
Winter Nights

This new exhibit, The Sotofish Society does, in fact, include paintings and drawings that reinterpret elements of Soto’s work. Viewing the series as a rebirth, the artist continues to transplant viewers to an alternate universe, while going back to his roots and evolving iconic characters, such as yetis, reapers, robots and the Sotofish. As Jeff explains, “I always feel like an artist’s entire body of work should be fair game to use. My cast of characters and the worlds I create are The Sotofish Society.”

The Phoenix
The Phoenix

Beware Beautiful Night
Beware Beautiful Night

Soto depicts friendly creatures and personifications of earth’s forces that thrive in a dystopian environment plagued by the complexities of modern living. These otherworldly creatures roam the surreal landscape and are surrounded by overgrown greenery, deteriorating technology and overall societal decay. However, Soto’s use of vibrant colors and organic shapes evoke a sense of hope and effort to revitalize, communicating themes of family, nature, life, and death.

Jeff Soto Installation View
Installation View

For this exhibition the artist focused on creating work based on instinct and emotion, resulting in dynamic paintings with many layers, silhouettes and design elements.

Jeff Soto Installation View
Installation View

Watercolors Installation
Watercolors

Along with acrylic compositions on wood and paper, The Sotofish Society includes a selection of watercolors, which are rarely exhibited, as well as limited edition relief prints. By merging a refined selection of graffiti and mixed media techniques, Jeff Soto continues to bridge the gap between street art and pop surrealism.

Jeff Soto Crowd

Night Garden
Night Garden

Jeff Soto’s The Sotofish Society will be on Exhibit Through October 8th, 2016 at Jonathan LeVine Gallery, Located 529 West 20th Street, 9th Flor, in the Chelsea Gallery District.

Jeff Soto Signage

Nightfish 2 and 1
Nightfish 2 and 1 Nightfish

The Builder
The Builder

Oh, The Places We Have Been Group Show at Jonathan LeVine Gallery

Jeff Soto, Love Can Surpass All Obstacles
Jeff Soto, Love Can Surpass All Obstacles (All Photos by Gail)

Jonathan LeVine Gallery is currently hosting Oh, The Places We Have Been: Rediscovering the Past, a group exhibition at their 23rd Street space, featuring work by the following 33 artists who have helped shape the foundation of the gallery over the last ten years: AJ Fosik, Alex Gross, Amandine Urruty, Andrew Brandou, Andy Kehoe, Blek le Rat, Brett Amory, Dan Witz, Esao Andrews, Fabio D’Aroma, Gary Baseman, Gary Taxali, Jeff Soto, Jim Houser, Juan Francisco Casas, Kevin Cyr, Marc Giai-Miniet, Marco Mazzoni, Masakatsu Sashie, Mike Giant, Natalia Fabia, Nouar, Nychos, Olek, Paul Insect, Rafael Silveira, Sam Gibbons, Saner, Souther Salazar, Tara McPherson, Titi Freak, Victor Castillo, WK Interact.

Continue reading Oh, The Places We Have Been Group Show at Jonathan LeVine Gallery

Oreo Subway Ad By Jeff Soto

Oreo Subway Ad By Jeff Soto
Photo By Gail

I passed this ad in the subway a couple of times before I was sure that it incorporates the original art of Jeff Soto, and wasn’t just made to look like a copy of his art. A little Googling on this end revealed that, as part of the next phase of its Play with OREO campaign, the company commissioned 10 emerging artists from around the globe “to see what happens when you put a 100+ year old brand into the hands of creative visionaries who are known for pushing the boundaries, and ask them to develop and share creative OREO expressions of play through their art forms.” The artists who worked on the project include Soto, Brosmind, Alex Trochut, Geoff McFetridge, Craig + Karl, Andrew Bannecker, Ryan Todd, Shotopop, Andy Rementer, and MCBESS.

Art Truancy: Celebrating 20 Years of Juxtapoz Magazine at Jonathan LeVine Gallery

LeVine 23rd Street Gallery Storefront
Jonathan LeVine 23rd Street Gallery Storefront Display Celebrates 20 Years of Juxtapoz Magazine (All Photos By Gail)

Hey NYC Art Lovers, if you are free this evening (Thursday, May 15th) why not pop over to the two Jonathan LeVine Gallery locations (they are just 3 blocks apart!) to have your mind blown at the opening night reception of Art Truancy, the coolest contemporary art group show, maybe ever!

Featuring the works of over 40 artists, Art Truancy celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Juxtapoz Magazine at a revered gallery space that has been around almost as long. Artists whose work you will see in this exhibit include Alex Gross, Alex Pardee, Andrew Schoultz, Brett Amory, Camille Rose Garcia, Chloe Early, Conor Harrington, Doze Green, Faile, Jeremy Fish, Jeff Soto, Marion Peck, Mark Ryden, Maya Hayuk, Miss Van, Neckface, Parra, Pushead, Robert Williams, Saner, Seonna Hong, Shepard Fairey, Swoon, Thomas Campbell, Todd James, Todd Schorr and others. I’m happy to be able to say that I was familiar with the work of so many of these great artists after having been introduced to their work at previous LeVine Gallery shows.
Last night I attended a press preview of the show and will now share with you some of my favorite pieces.

From the 23rd Street Space:

Robert Williams

Art by Robert Williams, perhaps most famous for his painting, Appetite for Destruction, which was used as the back cover artwork for the Guns ‘N’ Roses album of the same name.

Abe Lincoln by Mark Ryden
Abe Lincoln by Mark Ryden

Post Continues, With More Photos, After The Jump!

Continue reading Art Truancy: Celebrating 20 Years of Juxtapoz Magazine at Jonathan LeVine Gallery

Jeff Soto’s Decay And Overgrowth at Jonathan LeVine Gallery

Memorial of the Forgotten By Jeff Soto
Memorial of the Forgotten By Jeff Soto

Just when you thought the art reporting on this blog couldn’t get any more exciting, Jeff Soto, one of our very favorite American contemporary artists, returns to Jonathan LeVine Gallery for his fourth solo exhibition! Having been deeply affected by the  recent passing of two of his grandparents, Soto’s new series of works Decay and Overgrowth is his memento mori of sorts. For Decay and Overgrowth, Jeff maintains many of his signature motifs while incorporating a distinctive fecundity in the  broad use of new colors, such as mossy green, and images of plants and vines that entwine through skulls in a series of paintings that seem to personify the members of Soto’s family.

Cora By Jeff Soto
Cora

Joe By Jeff Soto
Joe

Kathryn By Jeff Soto
Kathryn

Man By Jeff Soto
Man

Expanding upon the themes explored previously in Lifecycle, Soto’s solo 2010 exhibition, works in Decay and Overgrowth deal with the passage of time, early man and life after death, as well as primitive myths and legends attempting to explain the unknown. A connective thread of mortality runs throughout the work, conveying themes such as the transient nature of life, brevity of the average lifetime and inevitability of death.

Monster By Jeff Soto
Monster

Soto selected symbols of hope and growth to symbolize the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Organic shapes and elements such as mountains, plants, flowers, rocks and crystals are juxtaposed with manmade objects such as cell phone towers, weapons, polished gems and modern architecture. The resulting imagery combines a bit of magic, unanswered questions and a glimpse into the unknown.

Jeff Soto Poses with his Work
Jeff Soto at Jonathan LeVine Gallery

I found this exhibit to be deeply moving and also life affirming. Jeff Soto was at the opening reception on Saturday and he was just the nicest person you could meet, signing a card for me and also posing with his art for this post. Thanks Jeff for your beautiful art and also for being so cool.

The Bike Ride
The Bike Ride

Jeff Soto’s Decay & Overgrowth will be on exhibit through October 6, 2012  at Jonathan LeVine Gallery, Located at 529 West 20th Street, 9th floor New York City. Gallery Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Jeff Soto Reception Crowd at Jonathan Levine
Fans Enjoy Jeff Soto’s Art at Saturday’s Opening Reception