Purple Magazine
— S/S 2012 issue 17
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 Jean-Michel Basquiat is also apparent. Lang challenges perception in his technique and continuously updates his themes of American history, motorcycle mania, and tattoos.
Wes Lang’s projects include a line of custom Rolex watches for Bamford Watch Department; a monograph about Chateau Marmont called ROOM 34, which includes a short story by James Frey; a group show in Zurich, at Galerie Lange + Pult, called “Hell Raisers” with Olivier Mosset, Vincent Szarek, Steven Parrino, et al.; and a solo show at Half Gallery.
