Steve Keene, by Blake Sandberg

Walking on the street in New York City.

Occasionally I would see a painting.

Maybe two or three.

Paintings on wood.

Bright.

Colorful.

Leaning against a dumpster.

Or against a wall near an alley in the sun.

Immediately recognizable at Steve Keene paintings.

I knew of him from Lakeside Lounge on Ave B.

The walls of the place were covered in his work.

A few other pieces dotted the walls of other well known venues and clubs.

I think he had a show at CBGB Gallery, the lesser known entity in a much larger space next door to the famous punk club.

Once I saw an incredible Statue of Liberty piece about 6 feet tall on the street.

I was on the way to a meeting with a gallery owner on Broadway.

I made a mental note to return to Lady Liberty and rescue her.

Parked my bike locking it directly in front of the building that housed the gallery and others. Businesses. Likely some spacious apartments above.

After my lack luster meeting with gallery owner I took the elevator down.

The doors opened.

My bike was gone.

I walked out… one sliver of a chain link was left. A pie shaped piece lay on the sidewalk where someone has chopped through it twice. And made off with my bike. A trusty chrome silver BMX bike.

I turned to face the doorman.

The thief that took my bike must have used a huge pair of wire cutters. The kind the army use to cut into fences in the movies. Or in this case organized bike thieves…

I was pissed!

I questioned the door man.

He tried hard to pretend he knew nothing.
Probably had a $20 or maybe $50 in his pocket.

Distracted and now walking I forgot Lady Liberty resting on a wall.

Years later in an after – the – after party at a woman’s apartment.

In the living room was a massive Statue of Liberty in green and blue. Unmistakably by Steve Keene.

I am not claiming it’s the same one. But I would like it if it was.

Steve Keene is often portrayed as a factory of paintings.

Not really an artist to some. Who snub him.

But when you look at his work – really look.

You discover some very interesting approaches to painting.

He describes objects and images with lines.

With his brushstrokes.

He doesn’t render things out in the round much.

He is a speedy worker.

The work is his thing.

The act.

The act of painting.

The action of painting.

Like deKooning in ways – some of the art world may not appreciate this notion.

But he is.

He is a painter.

It’s about living and doing it.

He is proclaimed as the worlds most prolific painter.

That may be true.

But when looking at the paintings you eventually notice how he paints.

The fascinating nuanced latticework of lines and brushstrokes.

Rhythmic.

Patterns.

Lines.

Large brushstrokes in the background.

Medium hits with a chip brush to knock out areas.

Colors.

Bright.

Patchy.

Angles.

A hatching zig-zag background.

Sometimes mosaic like.

Surfaces covered in people and objects, landscapes, buildings, faces, figures.

Maybe an album cover of one of your favorite or bands.

But so much more.

A world of images.

Staggering.

Thousands of images.

Thousands of album covers to fill all the record stores.

Prolific.

Passionate.

Urban folk art for the folk of NYC… and beyond.

The lines are painted rapidly with the smaller brushes.

They slash. They flow fast.

Describing the image in vivid simple motions.

Dabs.

Short strokes.

Dashes of color.

Tightening the focus somehow.

Then signed.

SK

On to the next.

I have never seen an artist painting in his own retrospective.

But there he was working away.

“Live painting” has become a thing.

I remember it starting in venues in the late 90s.

While a DJ or band played.

Usually very cheesy.

This is different.

This is a master of economy.

Painting live.

It’s a unique approach.

His paintings may have some replication.

Maybe these are almost like prints in a way.

But they are very hand painted.

Paintings.

They are yours.

Steve is ours.

We are lucky to have him.

The Retrospective Art show was at Chasama on the Brooklyn Waterfront.
New book is out – “The Steve Keene Art Book” produced by Daniel Efram.
Visit: www.stevekeene.com