Last year a group of talented souls, dancers, poets, painters and digital visionaries, were all brought together by D. Sabella Grimes to work on his project ELECTROGYNOUNS. This weekend his living dream came to fruition during the LAX FESTIVAL within the Bootleg Theater. A collaboration of light, sound forms and movement captivated the audience with lyrical gestures of texture. Perhaps this is why I enjoy theater so much. The beautiful blend of professionals working together styles complementing each other to generate a oneness of visual expertise. What else could it be called other than ELECTROGYNOUS?

I arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday October 8th. exhausted but excited about how I would collaborate once again with this incredible group of talented souls. I awoke Monday morning and decided to walk to the Bootleg Theater it felt good being in LA again its been along time since i’ve been back. Along my walk to the theater I passed this Carpet Store and outside they were throwing out all the carpet tubes. The owner seen me eyeballing them and said you can have them, you can have them all. Hmmm I thought I could use these in the performance some how!

The first question that came to mind was could we hang anything from the ceilings in the theater. The answer was yes!!!
Randomly I began cutting these forms into different sizes then in sized order I placed them on the ground and began tying them together. The real challenge was figuring out how to get this structure off the ground into the air successfully. Fortunately Katelyn the wonderful production manager had all the know how and insight to raise this baby up.

But something wasn’t quite right to me the structure itself was hung but it wasn’t dynamic. After walking around the structure i realized it was hanging backwards all the dynamic energy of the sculpture was not facing the audience. So I took the whole structure down and flipped it. Halfway done Sabella walks into the theater and he was like man you was piece is at his eye level and he says it looks great right where it is. I was like really? The dancers will bump into it was my concern. But he was cool with it right where it was. He began interacting with it speaking through the tubes I was stoked.

There is something powerful about working with Artist that allow your imagination
and creative freedom the ability to breathe dance and play… magic happens.

At the end of 2016 Qswimwear approached me about creating a Maxx Moses, collection of swim suits. I was excited about the idea about having my art transferred onto swimsuits, my mother would’ve been proud of this accomplishment, she loved swimming and encouraged my brother and I to become good swimmers.
Initially the collection was going to be created from photographs of murals I created throughout the world. It was these images that attracted Fernand, the owner of Qswimwear to my art in the first place. However, some of the images didn’t translate too well from the walls onto the swimsuits, they just weren’t sharp enough. Fortunately, I had just completed a series of illustrations that told stories of my many global travels that I felt were filled with inspiration and imagination. With the help of fellow artist and photographer, Jinny Zola’s the art was successfully shot and the collection was put together in a matter of weeks. We now have 14 different styles for this first collection. Each suit has a name and each name has a meaning that tells a brief story about the art.

Look online now at www. Qswimwear.com artist collection, Maxx Moses to view entire line of swimsuits, shorts, T-Shirts and more.
PS… Many people have been wanting to purchase these items in XXL and XXXL yes we have your size. However, there isn’t a tab to click on the website. so call your order in directly for plus sizes to KARLA at. 619 677-2050
Wall art by OZ FUA, photography and model credits go to Christian Jimenez.

As we are quickening through the age of Artificial Intelligence it’s nice to experience the realness of an event that speaks to the heart, soul and backbone of what AMERICAN STREET CULTURE has built and the world embraces, HIP HOP! Join us this Saturday and Sunday.

The 2nd day of this event is the beginning of something new… WONDER BORDERS Artist Retreat in Rosarito Mexico. This ocean side location is designed to reawaken the artist within. Join us!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local artist, Mr. Maxx Moses sends a message of Love and Creativity to the community
Book launch, new mural and community workshop arrives at The Studio Door in North Park
SAN DIEGO, California – August 30, 2016 – Local muralist Daniel Hopkins aka Mr. Maxx Moses will hold a book launch for his latest release, SAY WORD, Art & Affirmations. The launch will take place in conjunction with the artist reception for Open Studios San Diego on October 8, 2016 from 6 PM – 8 PM at The Studio Door in North Park.
Say Word is the latest effort for Daniel to bring positivity and creativity into our communities. The book of affirmations sends a message that words and images can propel lives towards goodness. It’s a natural extension of the message that comes through the artist’s murals, workshops and activism, which can be reviewed at http://posetwo.com, the artists website.
“Affirmations are here as reminders, for we are forgetful. We’ve forgotten the beauty from which we’ve been created. We need constant reminders of our oneness with everything in creation to alleviate the pain of loneliness,” said Daniel, “I hope that people will use SAY WORD to help visualize and affirm their inner strength and mental magnetism.”
Remaining uncomfortable is a life practice for the artist Daniel Hopkins. His formal education and exile from his beloved NY was at SUNY Brockport College, where he fused Subway Art with surrealism creating his own artistic identities. Creating large scale spray- painted murals across the globe and forging deep connections with communities is how he examines the depth of his learning and the quality of his art. He currently resides in Rosarito, Mexico and many of his local murals can be seen throughout the border region.
His most current persona, Mr. Maxx Moses is a Concrete Alchemist whose mission is to transform blank walls into contrasting ideas of beauty. Ultimately encouraging the viewer to look at death as inspiration… to live! In 2014, he organized some of the regions best muralists to participate in “The Alliance Project,” painting murals on the building that The Studio Door now operates. Recently, Maxx along with Gloria Muriel aka Glow and Monty Montgomery, half of Kreashun, have returned to the building to repair, revise and reimagine their murals.
“Creativity takes many forms. Part of The Studio Door philosophy is to create an accepting atmosphere where artistic expression is encouraged to be expressed on its own terms. This is a place of possibilities where street art is exhibited alongside of fine art, where emerging artists work alongside of master artists, and where local artists can hang with national artists,” said Patric Stillman, Director of The Studio Door. “Maxx understands this idea at its core. His own work across the globe has been inclusive and inspirational.”
Teaming up a second time in October, Daniel and The Studio Door will be presenting a one-shot workshop, Making a Mural with Maxx. On Saturday, October 22, 2016 from 10 AM – 1 PM, Maxx will lead a team of artists to create a collaborative mural at The Studio Door. Teens and adults are encourage to participate.
For more details, visit The Studio Door’s website at www.thestudiodoor.com or stop by The Studio Door (3750 30th Street) during gallery hours (Tues – Sat Noon – 7 PM / Sun Noon – 4

Dance for me is an important part of life. The language sound movement staging and design stimulates my thought process and informs my visual art in inexplicable ways. Dreamscapes the connection between the waking life and lucid dreaming are mirrored in dance, and vivified throughout this adventure. This evocation this tribal trance connects us to our ancestors.

For two weeks a wonderful group of 4 established Artist emerged onto the campus of Florida State University, in Tallahassee, Florida. It felt like a calling of sorts, like a divine collection of creative spirits were summed to exchange ideas not only between themselves but also, with every intricate experience and encounter along the way.

Electrogynous is the title of the trans-media dance performance orchestrated by Sabela Grimes. Well if you don’t know Sabela aka Oversoul 7, you should get to know his works, this dude is an established choreographer and composer as well as a Professor at USC Kaufman, teaching Hip Hop Dance. The first time I was introduced to his flow was through “pure movement” an outstanding performance produced by the renown Rene Harris dance company in Philadelphia PA. Sabela’s performance comprising of words and movement encapsulated everything I thought felt and experienced as a man, as an artist, it was personal. His work incited my spirit and enchanted the imagination I was like this brother is a problem his art speaks directly to the core.

Years later on the west coast we’d periodically run into each other and often talk about working together. February 2014 we crossed paths again at the Exact Science Art Gallery, in Los Angeles. My work was part of the group exhibition celebrating Black History Month. Upon my arrival one of the first cats I seen was Sabela, he was like yo Pose, what’s good? We chatted out front for a while then proceeded to go into the gallery. From the look in his eyes I could tell he was really digging the artwork. The place was packed and it was hard to have a conversation inside. Amidst the crowd we eventually stopped in front of one of my paintings. Sabela didn’t no it was my work. He leaned over and said, yo man this show is dope and I’m really feeling the artwork of this cat Maxx Moses. So I looked him in his face to see if he was joking. But no he was for real he wasn’t hip to the Mr. Maxx Moses persona, that I created in 2006.I laughed and responded come on man you know that’s me? Sabela was like dam I’ve been looking at these works all night thinking I’ve got to collaborate with this dude. I was like guess the time has finally come? We laughed shook hands and the process began.

He started sharing video clips of previous Electrogynous performances and talking about how he wanted to expand the vision further by incorporating video painting and poetry. Then he told me he was including Meena Murugesan and Ursula Rucker I was like oh shit this is project is going to be baddass!

The MANCC residency at Florida State University is designed to provide space and time for professional dancers to develop and expand their visions, so Sabela brought a crew. We all landed in Tallahassee, Florida around the 27th of July and none of us really had any idea how this was all going work out. Prior to the trip we brainstormed about painting live and how to incorporate it into the show. But the idea of stretching beyond the known territory of our crafts was what this calling was really about. Sabela’s wanted to use this opportunity to push his collaborators and himself beyond what we’ve already learned. So for me there was no paint only an Ipad and Apple pen and an app called procreate.

Deep inside the Black Box studio we sat divided, two Pisces’s on one side and two Virgos on the other. It was interesting listening to Sabela and Ursula speak about their rich creative history and fond memories of Philadelphia. While across the room Meena and I were learning how to successfully combine video and what I now call “light painting” into a story. Listening to Sabela’s sound tracks while video is being projected and digitally painted literally provided the backdrop for project.
Half way through our time a MANCC we all got on stage and sat inside the copper pyramid, which is part of the set. Here we talked about our progress and our developing creative process together. We all were being in challenged, Ursula to freestyle, Meena and Myself working with new technology and Sabela learning to work with us all.

We enjoyed conversations about what Black Joy looks like? Asking that question to people throughout the city and Capturing, their smiles on film. Watching Sabela’s body dance interpreting Electrogynous, which explores the notion of black male gender and questions what defines Black masculinity and the contradictions thereof? Creating imagery that visually expresses boundlessness within gender. Highlighted with the eloquent energy and magic spit that uttered from Ursula’s mouth at the end of every session made it all complete. Her poetry captured every morsel of exchange throughout the day and repurposed it with a new rhythm. My most memorable moment is when she said Pose create some Art that I can write to!
As she said this I projected what I was working on to the big screen. Instantly She began to write… “Make Me A Planet… My Own Mother Fucking Planet”…

Electrogynous will be performed in Los Angeles in November 2016. Theater will be announced soon. We are all super excited to bring this to the stage. And for the grand opportunity to be working along side such greatness. Tallahassee is Magical trust.

Two years ago I connected with the creators of Eskis-Company while painting at the Meeting of Styles in Milan Italy. Eskis-Company is a huge supporter the event mainly providing T-Shirts. When they asked me last year to submit some designs I really thought they were to be used as shirt designs… Instead they came up with something for the sole!…
I am one of about a dozen other international artist selected to be apart of there growing brand. So take some time and discover the website, then pick up some goodies along the way!
Much love and goodness!

The power of yoga

Yoga, meaning union is one of the most valuable things I’ve learned in this lifetime. I remember my very first class at Chula Vista Yoga, I lasted about 15 minutes then I sat on the sidelines tired and amazed looking at all these men and woman, older and younger pushing through that 1 ½ hour of class with strength grace and poise. This practice, of controlling your breath while pushing your body and mind through difficult poses reshaped me from INSIDE OUT.

So many good things sprouted from practicing at Chula Vista Yoga Center a healthy body and mind, good relationships and of course the opportunity to create art. In 2006 I met Kristyan, the owner and master teacher, he and I instantly developed a bond and appreciation for each other’s craft so we decided to exchange our gifts. I paint his studio and he teaches me yoga… there was no money involved.

Around 2012 some thirsty kids destroyed 4 murals in Chula Vista including mine. Every time I fixed it, it got destroyed again. So I let the ugliness live until 2013, when the new owners Maria and Joe, took over the studio and vowed to honor my lifetime yoga agreement. I wanted to maintain my side of the deal so we decided to create anew mural.

Chula Vista Yoga has a great reputation for its teachers and training program and a few years ago my good friend Eddie Bustamante completed his teacher-training certification. This year Eddie invested his enthusiasm skills and dedication of yoga into his own studio, Kula Yoga. The birth of his new studio is an extension of the love and support we’ve shared over the years for each other and the practice of yoga. Eddie stepped to me early in the developmental stages of his studio saying that he wanted me to create something special for his new space, a place that would attract the next generation of yogi’s. Thank you Eddie for the opportunity to create”ROCK STEADY” and for opening the doors to Kula Yoga…Namaste

“INSIDE OUT” is the latest eclectic exhibition of Mr. MAXX MOSES most recent work accompanied by a photographic retrospective of his murals from around the world juxtaposed on metal, tile and funky canvas giclees.

Opening day is on May 5th at 4pm at the McDonogh School, 8600 McDonogh Rd, Owingsmill, MD. The exhibition will remain on display until May 29th, 2016
This is a unique event. MAXX MOSES is a master Spray Can Artist and international muralist. This show will highlight his unique imagery from his long career of painting and will encapsulate an exciting look at many of the great work he has created throughout the world.
2016 marks 40 years of painting for MAXX and he has decided to present this show as a fun Pop up Shop which will, we have no doubt, push the boundaries of our media drenched brains through the doors of timeless imagination.

There is a great story behind Pose 2, aka MAXX MOSES. He is a true non-conformist, a student of metaphysics, a dreamer, and a man of many alter egos. He emerged from the era of painting his name on subway trains in NYC and carried that youthful exuberance into his education at SUNY Brockport College where he fused “subway art” with surrealism, creating his own form of artistic identities.

MAXX has been commissioned to create many large-scale spray-painted murals across the globe. Through these painting experiences he has forged deep connections with many communities. It is through these connections that he continues to examine the depth of his learning and the quality of his art.
In 2011, the US Embassy invited MAXX to collaborate with the National Gallery of Zimbabwe and eleven local artists to beautify the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe with five distinctive murals. His presence caused such media uproar that the local immigration sought to arrest the elusive artist…

His international travels have also taken him to Sao Paulo, Brazil where he was invited to the 3rd Bi-annual International Graffiti Fine Art Exhibition. Considered a VIP, the Brazilian consulate made special last minute arrangements to ensure MAXX MOSES was in attendance.

Other notable events include a month long residency at the “Art Hub” in Abu Dhabi which resulted in the creation of a 480 sqft. work called “Gold Digger” which is now on display at NYU in Abu Dhabi.

He has also worked with many innovative non-profits, such as “Cross Arts”, in Tripoli, Lebanon where he inspired the youth and shared the wealth of his experiences through mural workshops and live painting. In the U.S two major murals stand tall in Washington DC, “One-Sip” and “Love Boat” were created in collaboration with Words, Beats & Life; a non-profit organization where MAXX serves as a mentor for mural apprentices and as a powerful lecturer.

His last solo exhibition, ” Good Morning America” was a radical departure from his dreamlike landscapes. It was a very personal and vivid examination into how racism and false doctrine had affected his own mental well being. The most profound and disturbing work of the exhibition was a self portrait entitled “The Minstrel Cycle”. This highly acclaimed piece of art was also shown at the “Manifest Justice” exhibition in LA and is now part of the private collection of the National Endowment of the Arts.

Exciting activities happening alongside the “INSIDE OUT” exhibition include:
*A three- day mural collaboration between the students of McDonogh School and the artist.
*A pop up shop of take home goodies will also be in effect the duration of the exhibition
*Book signing and release of the long awaited coloring book “Empty Without You”…a joint venture between MAXX MOSES and Scribe Sayar. This book was birthed from a 2012 music video directed by MAXX and featuring rhyme spitting vocalist Scribe. Captivating as that sounds, the book is even more fascinating in person with an imaginative layout of iconic drawings coupled with the poetic lyrics of Scribe that on opposing pages appear to be having a conversation with each other. Signed copies will be available at the show.

In 2012 the legendary Philadelphia, Graffiti Writer and good friend of mine Razz 1, transitioned to the afterlife. Razz’s presence in Philadelphia was prolific and Gigantic his simple readable but stylish Tag could be found in nearly every neighborhood throughout Philly. From the 70’s throughout the 90’s his name shined. But writing wasn’t his only claim to fame. Razz aka Ahmed, was a father an entrepreneur and social activist. Right in the heart of Philadelphia on South Street he and his wife Nandi, Co-operated The Pearl Of Africa, where they sold all the greatest Afrocentric apparel and accessories. Equally important the Pearl Of Africa’s upstairs location was used for lectures where the most notable black scholars, metaphysicians and healers would come to enlighten and inspire the hearts and minds of Philadelphians. It was a ripe time in Philadelphia and Razz was a savvy businessman who seized the opportunity to provide for his family and feed his community seamlessly. His presence and store are greatly missed but his spirit and name, Lord Razz Law1, forever lives.

Earlier this Mat Mathai, of Chemspace contacted me. Mat is a great collector of my art and many other Writers artworks throughout the country, including Razz, us three have been friends for years. He said pose it been a long times since I’ve purchased one of your paintings and a lot has changed, like your new identity to Maxx Moses, and the transition of our dear friend. I mentioned to him Leon Rainbow and myself had just done a rest in peace for the lord Razz in South Philly only weeks ago in my old neighborhood and how his presence was fresh in my mind. Mat said Pose I like the direction your Art is moving in and I want to commission a new painting that reflects the energy of Pose 2 and the magic of Maxx Moses. However in the mist of this creation think of our dear friend Razz let his eternal presence shine through this painting brilliantly.

While creating this piece I was wondering how and where to place Razz’s name within the painting and just couldn’t figure it out, so I just kept painting and as I was three quarters of the way complete with the painting I reached back to look at all the emails Mat and I exchanged. I found an image of one of Razz’s paintings Mat sent to me and decided to make mini versions of the painting. I printed and pasted them all along the sides of the entire canvas. Yeah this felt right Razz was not just about how good his name looked but how often you seen it!

When I daze upon this painting I see the Lord Razz resting in his sarcophagus being charioted away into the afterlife by the letters, by style and by royalty, his friends and family. Therefore I title this piece “The procession of Lord Razz.” Long live the King… your essence is eternal your name indelible, your legacy lives…

CONTENT UNDER PRESSURE

Last week I was invited to paint at Content Under Pressure, an Urban Art Festival in San Antonio TX. The new owner of The Paint Yard, my good friend Beatriz Rodriquez, hosted the event. This year she took the liberty to expand the event into an urban art festival. Still using spray painting as the driving force of the event but also inviting many local artist who use paintbrushes as well.

Personally it was a treat to collaborate with some really cool artist, Sano, originally from Cleveland Ohio and Real 3 from Monterrey Mexico. Those of you who know Sano recognize this Great Spirit, his creative flexibility and good nature as a warm welcome. His wife, B-girl Emiko has always wanted us to collaborate and finally it happened.

Real3 from Mexico had arrived before us and began painting his famous blue characters. He showed me his sketch and explained how he was going to use the word border very bold next to the character. Excellent I knew somehow what I planned on painting (my wonder bread concept) would fuse together nicely with his concept.

Overall the event was a huge success I got to spend time with my long time Urban Warriors crew mate Wizart, B-girl, Star Veronica and the deeply talented emcee Seven Seven Seven what a spectacular weekend.