Only novices leave a game of cards up to chance, and Secret Fresh has a decade of experience behind them already. Their most recent group show “Balasa” was a who’s who of street artists, all playing off a “deck of cards” theme. Using the idea of suicide kings and jokers as a template, over a dozen artists reinterpreted them in a variety of styles.
Some were quite literal, with twin kings of their own design, one upside down, and one upright. Others were more abstract, just shapes and haunted dreamscapes. It was a quick and fun collection of pieces that were mainly bold and immediate but often filled with a satisfying level of depth.
Trip 63 rounded out the cartoony end of the scale with Richy Rich and Monopoly Man playing cards, while Chase bridged the gap with graffiti by mixing tagging handstyles and abstract shapes. Egg Fiasco went with straight ’80s sci-fi abstraction, while Epjey Pacheco mixed actual playing cards in collage-style with layers of resin and gold paint.
Definitely worth the trip, even on a rainy night.
