Hush at Urban Angel

Hush at Urban Angel

19 November, 2009
by: Katuschka

Being a Hello Kitty fan, the oft be-tentacled and schoolgirl-infested world of manga eroticism is about as appealing as a used-panty vending machine. But graffiti artist Hush's show Innocence at Urban Angel Gallery is a fair compromise. There's the usual quota of scantily clad, wide-eyed manga girls with ludicrously large mammaries; but Hush has managed to bring a more sophisticated edge to these ingénues. His heroines read the New York Times and play with anatomy models whilst lounging around in their underwear, and his work addresses the cultural and societal constructs which support these ideas of sexuality, much like the bras none of his subjects are wearing.

Having studied in Newcastle, worked as a toy designer in Hong Kong and exhibited all over the world as an artist, it's hardly surprising that Hush's work addresses the East's obsession with Western culture and vice versa. His work could slot easily into either market: its mix of comic books, graphic design, graffiti, manga and kawaii fuse into hyperactive, energetic imagery, with all the shabby vibrancy of street art and just enough sophistication to woo the fine art crowd. Judging by the rail-thin WASPs, Mackintosh-clad investors, Richard Ayoade lookalikes and scruffy bloggers waving SLRs who are milling around in the background, his work easily straddles the line between street and gallery. 


Hush, 'Sweet Modern Girl II', Acrylic paint, screen inks, ink, spray paint, varnish on canvas

Slightly Engrish slogans such as 'very sorry over 18s only' splashed across his images are at odds with the Lolitas' girlish features, and perhaps favour a more overt and commodified Western approach to sexuality. Hush's work oozes with the sleazy charm of red-light districts and wrong sides of the tracks, but the petulant mouths and quivering eyes, which often take up the whole frame, keep it just playful enough to avoid tricky pornography categorisation.

It would be nice to see a little more stylistic diversity in the show. Often street artists tend to stick with variations of one motif to build their reputation, which is fine when you're work is an ephemeral blob which punters may walk past; however, collected in a gallery, you start to get a sense of déjà vu. This show also feels restrained, considering Hush's previous, explosive wall pieces. Perhaps as more and more collectors jump on board, Hush is catering more to the print market, which is fair considering the level of skill and fame he is quickly achieving.

But it would be much more spectacular for his heroines to escape the frames and tear across the walls, leaving paint splatter and shredded paper in their wake. After all, with their chesticle torpedoes busting through more tops than the Incredible Hulk, the frames are struggling to contain them anyway.   

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Katuschka