In fact, with their fantastical approach they are telling us what we already know; the logic of the street is illogical, so why begin to explain it. To embrace the swirling and jagged movement, color, texture, smell, sound, and architecture of the street is to embrace chaos theory. You can tell that Peru Ana Ana Peru find it invigorating.
While graffiti culture has become somewhat codified in many respects, the rules of street art are being written before our eyes. Art theorists, facing ever-increasing irrelevance and impotence, find explanations being flushed out into the ocean as they clutch institutional inner-tubes to stay afloat. Street Art, or any name we finally settle on, is not going to be that easy to explain for a while.
While a public gallery curated by chaos is unsettling to many, Peru Ana Ana Peru have jumped into the abyss and brought riotous color and an ever twisting fantasy narrative that makes sense to – them?
Embracing the “traditional” wheat pasting is only one option, and while it may be the most pragmatic, don’t be surprised if they move their multi-media paintings, drawings, sculptures and video installations into the public sphere more in the future. And they will not be alone, if nascent trends in projection art (and technology), installation art, performance art, and flash mobs are an indication. Individuals are simply taking their voice to the street and claiming public space more than before.
Maybe the only irony in this first solo show by Peru Ana Ana Peru at Brooklynite Gallery opening is that it is located in a formalized gallery at all. Bringing the abyss inside 4 walls, a ceiling, and a floor feels limiting. But maybe that’s just my need to define Peru Ana Ana Peru and their work. Obviously the energy and vitality that steams out and around the colorful collection suggest that the idea of venue is no concern to PAAP’s adventurous minds. The calliope plays merrily on.
Brooklyn Street Art: Do your street pieces express fantasy or reality?
Brooklyn Street Art: What is the importance of cinema in your work?
Peru Ana Ana Peru: We consider ourselves to be primarily filmmakers/video artists first, and artists/street artists after that. It is the medium that we are most comfortable in, and in which we feel we have the most to offer. In this sense, cinema is our most important undertaking, and we are most happy when we are working on our films.
Brooklyn Street Art: If Peru Ana Ana Peru had only one medium to express itself in, would it be painting, drawing, sculpture, or video?
Peru Ana Ana Peru: It would most likely be film/video, but with the exception that inside the video we’d use paintings and drawings and sculpture and what not.
Brooklyn Street Art: How would you characterize the experience of mounting your first solo show?
Peru Ana Ana Peru: Dizzying.
Brooklyn Street Art: Do the streets of New York have a particular personality that you speak to?
Brooklyn Street Art: What messages would you hope the viewer will walk away with after seeing the work at Brooklynite?
Peru Ana Ana Peru: That we are just getting started.
