Searching For The Perfect Line – new work by Dave the Chimp

Vicious Gallery. July 26^th – August 16^th 2008

Kleine Freiheit 46, 22767 Hamburg  - St. Pauli. Germany

The title of this show relates primarily to skateboarding. A "line" is a route a skateboarder takes through a skatepark or other urban landscape, making tricks along the way. Looking for lines, getting them wired, then looking for new ones, is a constant aim, and the Chimp, as a skateboarder for over 20 years, is still constantly searching. This search takes place not only in the skatepark, but also in the studio.

The title also relates to the act of writing graffiti, and looking for flowing lines and letterforms that are quick and stylish to paint. In a lesser way, the Chimp is also searching for a new way of living, having recently quit London, his home for 12 years, and moved to Berlin, and also searching for a wife, considering the curves of a woman's body the "greatest lines God ever drew".

The exhibition will focus on new work created specifically for this show, plus experiments from the last few years - exploring the aforementioned themes, especially typographic elements, the curves of skateparks, and flowing/one line drawings. Though these ideas and pieces have been forming over a number of years, this is the first time the Chimp has presented them in an exhibition.

Also on display will be two new animated video pieces. The first of these, "Self Portrait, July 2008", was created in the Chimps living space, which is also his office and studio, and the centre of his world since moving to Berlin in April 2008.

The second piece, "One Line Is All You Need", shows the creation and erasure of simple, yet surprisingly clever, characters drawn with just one line. The Chimp developed these as a quick way of creating images, similar to the speed and style involved in a traditional graffiti "tag". Alongside the video piece will be the painting created to make the animation. This draws attention to the layers of graffiti we see in our major cities, and also, ultimately, to the "buff" – the removal or covering of graffiti by city employees and property owners.

A 40 page photocopy fanzine, showing work created in the streets and studio, is also available.