Textura

Vertical Gallery is very proud to present ‘Textura,’ a solo exhibit featuring multidisciplinary artist and illustrator lefty OUT there.

‘Textura,’ which runs from Oct. 1-22, exists at the intersection of art and science, spotlighting lefty OUT there’s signature repeated shapes — a.k.a. “polymorphs,” a term for compressed patterns commonly found in nature — in a wildly diverse range of styles and settings. lefty OUT there will attend the show’s opening reception, taking place Saturday, Oct. 1 from noon to 6:00 pm.

‘Textura’ — lefty OUT there’s first-ever solo gallery showcase in his native Chicago — extends and evolves the artist’s career-long obsession with patterns and textures. The trademark ‘lines’ that recur across his paintings and murals, often likened to cell structures and vibrations, achieve new heights of creativity and craftsmanship in this body of work.

lefty OUT there estimates he has drawn well over a million polymorphs over the course of his career, with no end in sight. “How I draw the pattern is always different as I'm painting the piece,” the artist explains. “There are multiple nuances per line. I'm making sure that I’m keeping it balanced, keeping the spacing the same, keeping the line width the same, and that it's all building off of itself. It’s a process of constant problem solving.”

With ‘Textura,’ a collection several years in the making, lefty OUT there turns his focus to what he calls “wall sculptures” — i.e., three-dimensional, tactile objects boasting uncommon presence and depth.  

“This show embraces the beauty of materials like yarn, fabric, Plexiglas, and wood. One piece might be soft and plush, while another might be hard and concrete,” lefty OUT there says. “Also, the show is interactive. People are going to be able to touch tufted rug pieces and crocheted pieces. They're even going to be able to touch the piece with nails driven into it. It's a much different experience than just looking at something on a wall. It’s going to be intense for some people, but I like intensity — it’s the overarching word in my career.”

lefty OUT there channeled his creativity into playing piano before turning to visual art at the age of 18, taking inspiration from Chicago’s vibrant street art community. The self-taught, left-handed painter spent years crisscrossing the globe in a relentless quest to refine his pattern-dominated aesthetic, eventually making his mark in cities like New York, Miami and London as well as Los Angeles, which he now calls home. lefty OUT there’s portfolio also includes large-scale installations for locations like Nobu, club E11EVEN, Chotto Matte and Chicago’s Ambassador Hotel along with collaborations with brands including Nike, Facebook, Samsung and McDonald’s.

VIEW THE EXHIBITION