ART BASEL 2013: KESH Breaks All of the Rules

What are rules?

I was hanging out at the KESH exhibit with an artist friend, and he informed me that solo shows are a no go at Art Basel. The scene is controlled by galleries and art fairs, which sometimes can be a hub of commerce and 1 percent glad-handing. However, KESH, as with most artists inspired by the hip-hop and indie astethc, set to break all rules of conformity during her independent show, WHY ARE WE WORSHIPPING on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach.

You see, hip-hop doesn't like rules. We don't like old money telling us where we can and cannot go. The fact that an artist of color took over South Beach is a result of that attitude. Artists such as Raekwon, Theophilus London and Mykki Blanco were in attendance as well as some of the more colorful attendees in Miami.

The artwork itself was stark, with blueish-white hues contrasting against black backgrounds. The use of almost Grace Jones-like imagery strikes me as a combination of 80s new wave glam and 22nd century imagery. For more on Kesh, check here.