An exhibit at L.A.’s Subliminal Projects gallery will showcase the art of dancehall reggae, from 1979 to the present. Entitled “Art in the Dancehall,” the show includes album covers from the likes of Yellowman and Josey Wales, Gregory Isaacs, and Jah Shaka, as well as dancehall-inspired art and posters from artists and designers like Tony McDermott, Sassafras, and Ellen G.
“Dancehall and Jamaican soundsystem culture has a rich and vibrant artistic past as well as an undeniable influence on design and letterform in contemporary pop culture,” write the show’s curators. “Early 1980s Jamaica was a changing place, politically and musically, with a new generation of deejays bringing in a brand new sound. Mirroring this change in the music scene, were graphic designers and illustrators translating the energy, color and playfulness of dancehall into a world of crazy characters and vivid, saturated colors.”
“Art in the Dancehall,” Various Artists, February 2-March 2, Subliminal Projects, Los Angeles
