BLADE
Steven D. Ogburn – Américain
Né en 1957
Steven D. Ogburn, plus connu sous le pseudonyme Blade, est reconnu dans l’histoire du graffiti comme le « King of Kings ». Né en 1957 dans le Bronx, Blade fait ses débuts dans le bombing au début des années 1970. En 1972, alors qu’il n’a que 15 ans, son ami Hondo 1 l’initie à la peinture de trains dans le Bronx. Il adopte rapidement le pseudonyme Blade, signifiant « lame de cutter » en anglais, et s’immerge dans le monde du graffiti. Il s’entoure des meilleurs graffeurs de l’époque et fonde le groupe légendaire TC5 (The Crazy Five), qui se spécialise dans la peinture des trains des lignes 2 et 5 reliant le Bronx à Brooklyn.
Blade obtient son titre de « King of Kings » grâce à ses 5 000 trains graffés, un chiffre impressionnant qui a marqué l’histoire du graffiti new-yorkais. En 1981, il amorce une transition vers le travail en atelier et abandonne progressivement le graffiti sur les trains en 1984, pour se consacrer entièrement à la peinture sur toile. Ce tournant artistique lui permet d’acquérir une reconnaissance internationale.
Son style, ou plutôt ses multiples styles, se caractérise par un usage créatif des lettres, des couleurs vives, des formes géométriques, ainsi que des personnages et des éléments abstraits. Ses œuvres rappellent souvent des paysages galactiques, avec des constellations et des étoiles filantes en toile de fond. Blade n’a jamais cherché à se conformer aux normes et a constamment renouvelé ses lettrages. Il est notamment l’un des pionniers des block letters et des 3D letters, deux techniques qui ont laissé leur empreinte dans l’art du graffiti.
« J’ai commencé à peindre à l’âge de 15 ans en 1972 avec Hondo1, Fresco, Dr. Sex et Camaro 170. Mon alias (Blade) vient du fait que je portais toujours un cutter sur moi pour travailler et, surtout, pour me défendre en cas de bagarres avec des gangs. » – Blade
« J’ai commencé à peindre les métros très tôt ; je n’étais influencé par personne. On apprenait tout au fur et à mesure. J’ai peint mon premier personnage en novembre 1974. À cette époque, les trains n’étaient pas trop surveillés. J’ai commencé à taguer les camions postaux avec Chino1 en 1972, puis je suis passé aux bus et à l’extérieur des voitures de métro. Plus tard, je me suis intéressé aux intérieurs. » – Blade
« Quand je peignais des voitures entières, j’en faisais entre 750 et 1 000 par an. Le danger à l’époque, c’était de se faire heurter par un train ou de tomber des voies surélevées et de se faire écraser par une voiture ou un camion. Mais pour nous, c’était le seul moyen de nous exprimer. » – Blade
« L’idée des « Walking Letters » m’est venue d’un rêve que j’ai fait en 1979. Cette année-là, j’ai peint une œuvre avec des montagnes réalistes en arrière-plan ; personne ne l’avait fait avant. Quand j’ai peint la voiture entière « The Walking Letters » en 1980, j’ai créé un fond réaliste avec des lettres dans le style de dessin animé. La combinaison fonctionnait très bien ; les lettres semblaient flotter dans le ciel. » – Blade
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EDUCATION
– Self-taught graffiti artist
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2016 - Blade: NYC King, Hausammann Gallery, Cortina, Miami, USA, (opening) September 8th.
2015 - New York in Gargano: Blade, the King of Graffiti, curated by Marta Gargiulo and Massimo Scrocca, Marina del gargano di Manfredonia (tourist harbour), Siponto, Italy, June 13th – July 12th.
2009 - BLADE: King of Graffiti. Photographs, Cards, Drawings, Publications, curated by Roger Gastman, Pijnenburg Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (catalogue)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 - Nos Fantômes – exposition inaugurale, Ghost galerie, Paris, France, 10 Septembre – 20 Novembre, 2021.
2019 - We Were Here : East Coast x West Coast, Chase Contemporary. New York, USA, June 27th – July 21st .
2018 - Art from the streets, Art Science Museum, Singapore, January 13th – June 3th. - Graffiti, Vroom & Varossieau, curated by Heli Harni, Satu Oksanen and Sanna Tuulikangas. Helsinki, Finland, April 6th- September 9th . - ICONS II, Vroom & Varossieau, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, April 7th – May 8th. - City as Canvas: Graffiti Art From the Martin Wong Collection, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, USA, October 5th, 2017 – January 28th, 2018.
2017 - Francl Gallery, Cannes, France. - NYC Legends: BLADE & TRACY 168, Hausammann Gallery, Cortina, Miami, USA, (opening) August 13th. - 212 Gallery, Wynwood, Miami, USA (Art Basel). - ALL BIG LETTERS, curated by RJ Rushmore, Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery, Haverford, USA, January 20th – March 3rd. - Digard Auction House, Paris
2016 - Urban Dawn II, by art platform curator19.90, Beirut, Lebanon, October 15th – November 13th. - City as Canvas: Graffiti Art From the Martin Wong Collection, Museum of the History of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, March 18th – June 26th. (touring exhibition). - City as Canvas: Graffiti Art From the Martin Wong Collection, Amsterdam Museum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands, September 18th, 2015 – January 24, 2016. (touring exhibition).
2015 - Foggia & Manfredonia, Italy - Fuck the King, Long Live the Kings, Blade, Inkie and Shoe, Vroom & Varossieau, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. - Fuck the King, Long Live the Kings, Blande, Inkie and Shoe, Gothenburg, Sweden.
2014 - City as Canvas: Graffiti Art From the Martin Wong Collection, Museum of the City of New York, USA, February 4th – September 21st (touring exhibition) (catalogue). - Jonathan Levine Gallery, New York, USA. - Galleria Varsi, Rome, Italy.
2013 - Viborg Billboard Festival, Galleri NB, Denmark, June 1st – June 8th. - Articks Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2012 - Adjust Gallery, Art Basel, Miami, USA, December 6th – 9th. - Speerstra Foundation (Collection Speerstra), Apples, Switzerland. - Graffiti – New York 80’s, Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont, Paris, France, May 27th – July 20th.
2011 - Group Show: Hall of Fame, Speerstra Gallery, Geneva, Switzerland, November 8th – December 12th. - Melange of Street Art Artists, Galerie Helenbeck, Nice, France, July 9th – September 10th. - Art in the Streets, MOCA, Los Angeles, USA, April 17th – August 8th. (catalogue) - Articks gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. - Gallery Vlasblom, Bergen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. - Carmichael Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
2010 - Gismondi Galerie, Paris, France.
2008 - Galerie Gismondi and Helenbeck Galerie, Paris, France. - Helenbeck Galerie, Paris, France.
2005 - Brooklyn Library, Brooklyn, USA. - Old School Legends, The Outside Institute, London, UK.
2004 - Down Under Tour, Auckland, New Zealand and Brisbane; Melbourne, Australia. - Blade, Cope II, Pistol, Aurora Gallery, New York, USA. - Marco Art Galerie, New York, USA.
2003 - Blade with Seen, Revolt, Chino and Pistol, Marco Art Galerie, New York, USA.
2002 - Marco Art Galerie, New York, USA.
2000 - Whitney Museum, New York, USA. - Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, USA.
1999 - Bronx Museum, New York, USA.
1998 - The Arrow, by the collective Stocktown,in conjecture with Fanclub festival, Stockholm, Sweden, July 24th – 26th. - Museum der Stadt Ratingen, Ratingen, Germany. - Blade ONE / Case 2: Return to Burn, Martinez Gallery, New York, USA, May 16th – June 27th.
1997 - Symposium, Museum of the City of New York, USA. - Wiesbaden Festival, Wiesbaden, Germany.
1996 - The Stedelijk Museum Roermond, Roermond, The Netherlands. - Drawings Show, South Of France. - Galerie City, Paris, France.
1995 - Boymans Museum, Germany. - Museum Dortmund, Germany. - Galerie Heidelberg, Germany. - Düsseldorf Festival, Germany.
1994 - Gallery Amsterdam, The Netherlands. - Castle Helmond, The Netherlands.
1993 - Museum Show, Rotterdam Museum, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. - City Gallery, Brussels, Belgium.
1992 - New York Graffiti Art : Coming from the Subway (Collection Speerstra), Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands, October 4th, 1992 – January 10th, 1993. (catalogue) - Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Den Haag, The Netherlands. - City Gallery, Milan, Italy. - Groninger Museum Show, Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands. - The Mannheimer Kunstverein, Mannheim, Germany.
1991 - Graffiti Art : Artiste américains et français 1981 / 1991(Collection Speerstra), Musée des monuments Français Paris, Paris, France. (catalogue)
1989 - Yaki Kornblit Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. - Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden, Germany. - Heidelberger Kunstverein, Heidelberg, Germany. - Helmond Museum & Art Gallery, Helmond, The Netherlands.
1988 - De Horizon Voorbij, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Den Haag, The Netherlands.
1987 - Galerie Thomas, München, Germany.
1986 - New York Graffiti, Leopold-Hoesch museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, March 9th – May 4th (catalogue). - Helmond Museum & Art Gallery, Helmond, The Netherlands.
1985 - Galerie Yaki Kornblit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. - New York Graffiti, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Den Haag, The Netherlands. - Stellweg Seguy Gallery, New York, USA. - Museum Helmond, Helmond, The Netherlands.
1984 - New York Graffiti (Collection Speerstra), Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Denmark, September 7th – October 7th. - Graffiti, Groninger Museum. Groningen, The Netherlands, January 14th – February 26th. (catalogue) - Galerie Yaki Kornblit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
1983 - Graffiti, Museum Boijmans, Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, October 22nd – December 4th (catalogue). - Post-Graffiti, Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, USA, December 1st – 31st. (catalogue), München, Germany. - Galerie Yaki Kornblit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
1981 - New York/ New Wave, organized by Diego Cortez, P.S.1., Institute for Art and Urban Ressources, Long Island City, USA, February 15th – April 5th.
– Self-taught graffiti artist
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2016 - Blade: NYC King, Hausammann Gallery, Cortina, Miami, USA, (opening) September 8th.
2015 - New York in Gargano: Blade, the King of Graffiti, curated by Marta Gargiulo and Massimo Scrocca, Marina del gargano di Manfredonia (tourist harbour), Siponto, Italy, June 13th – July 12th.
2009 - BLADE: King of Graffiti. Photographs, Cards, Drawings, Publications, curated by Roger Gastman, Pijnenburg Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (catalogue)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 - Nos Fantômes – exposition inaugurale, Ghost galerie, Paris, France, 10 Septembre – 20 Novembre, 2021.
2019 - We Were Here : East Coast x West Coast, Chase Contemporary. New York, USA, June 27th – July 21st .
2018 - Art from the streets, Art Science Museum, Singapore, January 13th – June 3th. - Graffiti, Vroom & Varossieau, curated by Heli Harni, Satu Oksanen and Sanna Tuulikangas. Helsinki, Finland, April 6th- September 9th . - ICONS II, Vroom & Varossieau, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, April 7th – May 8th. - City as Canvas: Graffiti Art From the Martin Wong Collection, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, USA, October 5th, 2017 – January 28th, 2018.
2017 - Francl Gallery, Cannes, France. - NYC Legends: BLADE & TRACY 168, Hausammann Gallery, Cortina, Miami, USA, (opening) August 13th. - 212 Gallery, Wynwood, Miami, USA (Art Basel). - ALL BIG LETTERS, curated by RJ Rushmore, Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery, Haverford, USA, January 20th – March 3rd. - Digard Auction House, Paris
2016 - Urban Dawn II, by art platform curator19.90, Beirut, Lebanon, October 15th – November 13th. - City as Canvas: Graffiti Art From the Martin Wong Collection, Museum of the History of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, March 18th – June 26th. (touring exhibition). - City as Canvas: Graffiti Art From the Martin Wong Collection, Amsterdam Museum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands, September 18th, 2015 – January 24, 2016. (touring exhibition).
2015 - Foggia & Manfredonia, Italy - Fuck the King, Long Live the Kings, Blade, Inkie and Shoe, Vroom & Varossieau, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. - Fuck the King, Long Live the Kings, Blande, Inkie and Shoe, Gothenburg, Sweden.
2014 - City as Canvas: Graffiti Art From the Martin Wong Collection, Museum of the City of New York, USA, February 4th – September 21st (touring exhibition) (catalogue). - Jonathan Levine Gallery, New York, USA. - Galleria Varsi, Rome, Italy.
2013 - Viborg Billboard Festival, Galleri NB, Denmark, June 1st – June 8th. - Articks Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2012 - Adjust Gallery, Art Basel, Miami, USA, December 6th – 9th. - Speerstra Foundation (Collection Speerstra), Apples, Switzerland. - Graffiti – New York 80’s, Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont, Paris, France, May 27th – July 20th.
2011 - Group Show: Hall of Fame, Speerstra Gallery, Geneva, Switzerland, November 8th – December 12th. - Melange of Street Art Artists, Galerie Helenbeck, Nice, France, July 9th – September 10th. - Art in the Streets, MOCA, Los Angeles, USA, April 17th – August 8th. (catalogue) - Articks gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. - Gallery Vlasblom, Bergen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. - Carmichael Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
2010 - Gismondi Galerie, Paris, France.
2008 - Galerie Gismondi and Helenbeck Galerie, Paris, France. - Helenbeck Galerie, Paris, France.
2005 - Brooklyn Library, Brooklyn, USA. - Old School Legends, The Outside Institute, London, UK.
2004 - Down Under Tour, Auckland, New Zealand and Brisbane; Melbourne, Australia. - Blade, Cope II, Pistol, Aurora Gallery, New York, USA. - Marco Art Galerie, New York, USA.
2003 - Blade with Seen, Revolt, Chino and Pistol, Marco Art Galerie, New York, USA.
2002 - Marco Art Galerie, New York, USA.
2000 - Whitney Museum, New York, USA. - Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, USA.
1999 - Bronx Museum, New York, USA.
1998 - The Arrow, by the collective Stocktown,in conjecture with Fanclub festival, Stockholm, Sweden, July 24th – 26th. - Museum der Stadt Ratingen, Ratingen, Germany. - Blade ONE / Case 2: Return to Burn, Martinez Gallery, New York, USA, May 16th – June 27th.
1997 - Symposium, Museum of the City of New York, USA. - Wiesbaden Festival, Wiesbaden, Germany.
1996 - The Stedelijk Museum Roermond, Roermond, The Netherlands. - Drawings Show, South Of France. - Galerie City, Paris, France.
1995 - Boymans Museum, Germany. - Museum Dortmund, Germany. - Galerie Heidelberg, Germany. - Düsseldorf Festival, Germany.
1994 - Gallery Amsterdam, The Netherlands. - Castle Helmond, The Netherlands.
1993 - Museum Show, Rotterdam Museum, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. - City Gallery, Brussels, Belgium.
1992 - New York Graffiti Art : Coming from the Subway (Collection Speerstra), Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands, October 4th, 1992 – January 10th, 1993. (catalogue) - Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Den Haag, The Netherlands. - City Gallery, Milan, Italy. - Groninger Museum Show, Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands. - The Mannheimer Kunstverein, Mannheim, Germany.
1991 - Graffiti Art : Artiste américains et français 1981 / 1991(Collection Speerstra), Musée des monuments Français Paris, Paris, France. (catalogue)
1989 - Yaki Kornblit Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. - Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden, Germany. - Heidelberger Kunstverein, Heidelberg, Germany. - Helmond Museum & Art Gallery, Helmond, The Netherlands.
1988 - De Horizon Voorbij, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Den Haag, The Netherlands.
1987 - Galerie Thomas, München, Germany.
1986 - New York Graffiti, Leopold-Hoesch museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, March 9th – May 4th (catalogue). - Helmond Museum & Art Gallery, Helmond, The Netherlands.
1985 - Galerie Yaki Kornblit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. - New York Graffiti, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Den Haag, The Netherlands. - Stellweg Seguy Gallery, New York, USA. - Museum Helmond, Helmond, The Netherlands.
1984 - New York Graffiti (Collection Speerstra), Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Denmark, September 7th – October 7th. - Graffiti, Groninger Museum. Groningen, The Netherlands, January 14th – February 26th. (catalogue) - Galerie Yaki Kornblit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
1983 - Graffiti, Museum Boijmans, Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, October 22nd – December 4th (catalogue). - Post-Graffiti, Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, USA, December 1st – 31st. (catalogue), München, Germany. - Galerie Yaki Kornblit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
1981 - New York/ New Wave, organized by Diego Cortez, P.S.1., Institute for Art and Urban Ressources, Long Island City, USA, February 15th – April 5th.
EPOCHAL VISIONS: AN EXHAUSTIVE CHRONICLE OF WORKS BELONGING OR HAVING BELONGED TO THE GALLERY’S COLLECTIONS
