Absurdly Well

Watergate Equals Politics Equals Art - 'Reclamation' Exhibition Features Street and Primitive Styles /  by Maxwell Young

Archival artworks by Absurdly Well, Divorce Culture & Erik White

Washington, D.C.—Reparations, resistance, reprisal—these are the nouns of upheaval. Do you not feel a change afoot? A new generation of activists and artists march in droves, with phalanxes not seen since the civil rights movement, deposing false idols; myriad of declarative expressions exhort an awakening, both socially and politically. Much like the fate of their fore-fathers and fore-mothers, time will bare their commitment to radical progress.

Reclamation, Watergate Gallery's upcoming group exhibition opening on August 29th, posits three District artists in the present civil discourse. Absurdly Well and Divorce Culture are tenured street artists, celebrating print, graffiti, and wheatpaste styles with a regiment of public works--messages from the misrepresented margins of our nation's capital--encroaching the superstructure of Congress. Erik White, the cool itinerant of the trio, assembles primitive paintings, like X-rays, offering insight into the debasement of the black body, requiems for the legend of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Space is a hot commodity in D.C. Barricaded streets, and wooden sheaths shuttering storefronts create more canvas for guerrilla artists but cause other works to be lost in translation. "I'm stoked to be able to show art in a space during a time when there's so much going on," said White. This triad of creators does not take the gallery setting for granted.

Due to the concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, this month-long show is a restricted viewing. The gallery will permit groups of eight inside the salon at a time, with RSVP, temperature checks and face masks required upon entry. The opening reception will be Saturday, August 29th from 5-7 pm. To RSVP for the exhibition, please visit the Watergate Gallery & Frame Design’s website.

Watergate Gallery and Frame Design

2552 Virginia Ave, NW

Washington, D.C., 20037

District of Columbia Artists Rally to Provide Coronavirus Relief /  by Maxwell Young

Register to bid in the auction here.

Register to bid in the auction here.

Washington, D.C. -- In an effort to uplift the local arts ecosystem amid strenuous times, Absurdly Well, in collaboration with InTheRough and The Washington Informer Bridge, presents “Bid to Fight COVID,” a virtual art auction featuring select works from the District’s burgeoning artists. The event will take place on Friday, May 29th.

The unprecedented number of layoffs and furloughs caused by the coronavirus pandemic has left communities worldwide without resources to support some of their most primary needs. Food supplies and living arrangements are threatened as people struggle to find employment let alone money to purchase essential goods. Full-time artists and artists working part-time gigs to support their practice, as well, find themselves in similar positions, with museums, galleries and studio spaces shuttering to mitigate the viral spread. Compounded by the sad reality that grants, commissioned projects and funding initiatives have slowed or halted altogether, creatives are looking for enablement to support their vocation, their wellbeing and their loved ones.

“We’re attempting to transform our art into something that is going to ease the burden for families during this crisis,” said Absurdly Well, the street artist behind D.C.’s polarizing public images of Donald Trump, Greta Thunberg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the timely ‘Wash Your Hands’ motto. “We need a stimulus for our art, but we also need to create that stimulus for ourselves and give back to the community that has given us so much inspiration and opportunity to convey our visions.”

Historically, art has played a pivotal role in improving the public welfare during adverse periods. The Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project employed hundreds of painters and muralists to enrich civic buildings through the doldrums of the Great Depression. And in the throes of World War II, facing calls to reduce Great Britain’s arts’ budget, then Prime Minister Winston Churchill defended such funding, asking rhetorically, “Then what are we fighting for?” Artistic endeavors are noble pursuits. Artists capture the beauty, the humor, the hardships and the trauma of life in ways that allow observers to appreciate its fragility and cope with its obstacles.

In 2020 when quotidian life has been turned upside down, we need restorative power and we must remain optimistic. The COVID-19 relief virtual auction will aid artists in need of assistance and help subsidize the broader D.C. community. Patronage of visual artists will not only buoy practices during the tumult, but a portion of the proceeds from the event will also be donated to Martha’s Table. For 40 years, this Washington, D.C.-based non-profit has been an access point for healthy food, quality education, and family resources in the same communities that have cultivated the city’s strong arts heritage. Their commitment to protect the health and safety of District residents is more essential now than ever and they have doubled down on programming efforts during this crisis. We elect them as trusted recipients.

“Bid to Fight COVID” will be held from 7 to 10 pm, EST on Friday, May 29. Prospective bidders will be able to tender for artworks via the @bid2fightcovid Instagram page, only after registering through the Eventbrite portal. 

To learn more about the artists involved in the auction as well as a preview of works, please refer to the partnering websites of PR firm InTheRough or The Washington Informer Bridge.

Late Bloom Radio hosts artists Absurdly Well and Esteban Whiteside ahead of Friday's gallery show /  by Maxwell Young

Tune in to Late Bloom Radio broadcast via FullServiceRadio.org, Wednesday at 7pm EST, for an in-depth interview with two of Washington D.C.’s most unapologetic artists.

Promotion for “Broken Safety,” an art exhibition featuring the compositions of Esteban Whiteside & Absurdly Well.

Promotion for “Broken Safety,” an art exhibition featuring the compositions of Esteban Whiteside & Absurdly Well.

The following is a press release from artists Absurdly Well and Esteban Whiteside.

Washington, D.C.—10 blocks from the Capitol!  The most highly-anticipated joint show from the DMV’s most prolific artists!

Join us March 8th in Eastern Market at The Fridge Gallery! Political street artist Absurdly Well and artist Esteban Whiteside come together in their first joint art exhibition to address social circumstances that galvanize today’s urban society.

Gentrification and displacement is at an all-time high in major cities in the nation.  The lack of financial, domestic and democratic safety has been taking a toll on the poor and middle class for years.  Artists also have been feeling the pinch of big business moving in Washington.  With more and more luxury condominiums being built & rising rents, artist spaces have been shutting down.  These factors consequentially puts this “broken safety” in the cross-hairs of many U.S. citizens.

Collectors and admirers of Absurdly Well & Esteban will be amazed by the ambitious size of art and spanning subject-matter.  Each piece is a unique perspective on and during the Trump regime from the most prolific artist-activists.  Most pieces are never-before-seen.

This exhibition will be up until March 31st and there will be programming and artists talks throughout the month by both artists.

Original works, prints, street posters, and other merchandise will be available for sale.

March 8, 7-11pm

The Fridge D.C.

516 8 St, SE

Washington, D.C. 20003