Wes Lang

Stand By Me, 2011, mixed media on paper, 17 x 13 inches

drawing made for Purple

text by Eddie Martinez

 

Wes Lang is a world unto himself. He has a unique knack for making new things look old and worn, yet totally contemporary. Maybe it’s the antique paper he uses, or his meticulous technique, but Lang is always able to mesh the old and the new. He’s also an accomplished tattoo artist. You don’t have to know anything about tattoos to be drawn to his version of tattoo flash, which is both authentic and unique. It’s what brings his art to life and makes it fun to look at. His large-format collage drawings fuse poetry, song lyrics, and popular phrases with the visual iconography of biker culture, the sex industry, and the world of music. The influence of artists like Cy Twombly, Martin Kippenberger, and…