MEAR ONE (Kalen Ockerman) has been at the forefront of LA’s graffiti and mural culture for nearly four decades. He is famous for having pioneered the Melrose graffiti art movement in the late 80s and is considered by many to be LA’s most prolific public muralist. Early on in his career, MEAR gained his recognition for building the bridge between graffiti art and fine art. He was the first graffiti artist to exhibit at the infamous 01 Gallery on Melrose, as well as at 33 1/3 Gallery in Silverlake, where Banksy would later debut his first North American show. MEAR ONE’s work was part of the landmark Art in the Streets 2011 exhibit at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, Street Cred at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, and Last Thursday at the Orlando Museum of Fine Art. His artworks reside in the permanent collection of the Laguna Fine Art Museum as well as numerous private collections. He is perhaps best known for constructing powerful narratives juxtaposing philosophy, ancient mythology and modern politics to inspire an evolved consciousness. This interpretation of reality is achieved through balanced dialogue between surrealism and the metaphysical. MEAR ONE helps us envision the sublime spirit of our time – not by escaping reality, but by confronting it head on.
