Crash (John Matos)

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Biography

Crash is a famous graffiti artist. As early as 13, John Matos was spray painting New York City trains. The full image art, as opposed to simpler tagging, soon transferred to silk screened canvas.

Crash (John Matos)

Biography

Crash is a famous graffiti artist. As early as 13, John Matos was spray painting New York City trains. The full image art, as opposed to simpler tagging, soon transferred to silk screened canvas. He was first noticed through his murals on subway cars and dilapidated buildings, he is now regarded as a pioneer of the Graffiti art movement. His work is said to convey a “visual link between street life and established society”. By the 1980’s Matos had exhibits across the United States and abroad. He was given his first gallery showing by Sidney Janis at the Sidney Janis Gallery in 1983.

In 1996, Crash painted an Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster and gave it to the artist as a gift. Eric Clapton went on to use the specially designed guitar through his 2001 tour and later appeared with another. In total Crash has created 3 guitars for Eric Clapton, one which auctioned for $321,100(USD) by the name of “Crash-3”. Soon after Fender Musical Instruments commissioned the creation of 50 such graffiti designed guitars from Crash and named the line “Crashocasters.” Other artists such as John Mayer have used the custom painted Crashocaster guitars.

In July 2006, the pieces titled “Aeroplane 1” (1983) and “A-U-T-O-matic” (1985) were displayed in the Brooklyn Museum of Art in a featured exhibit titled “Graffiti.”

Artist Website

Exhibitions

2018

Joanne Artman Gallery, New York, CONCRETE JUNGLE: Featuring John “CRASH” Matos – New York

2017

Joanne Artman Gallery, Laguna Beach, “Breaking Ground II: Redefining the Urban Experience” Featuring John “CRASH” Matos
Kolly Gallery Zürich, John Crash Matos
Joanne Artman Gallery, Laguna Beach, Material Matters featuring John “CRASH” Matos –An Exclusive Online Exhibition

2016

Joanne Artman Gallery, New York, “Breaking Ground: Redefining the Urban Experience” Featuring John “CRASH” Matos

2014

Dorian Grey Projects, SCOPE Miami, 2014

2006

“The Silkscreen Pieces, Lucky Strike”, Galerie Speerstra, Paris

2005

“Second Skin”, New paintings by CRASH, WOOSTER PROJECTS, NY
“Second Skin”, Paintings by CRASH, Sponsored by Stussy, Tokyo, Japan

2004

“POP, BOOM, CRASH”, Animation and Fine Arts Gallery, NC
“CRASH, Recent Paintings”, PROSPER, Tokyo, Japan
CRASH/HERVE DiROSA, “Collaborations”, Galerie Speerstra, Paris
CRASH, Fender Stratocaster 50th Anniversary, Fender Museum, Corona, CA

2003

100 Small Paintings, RECON @ San Francisco, CA
CRASH, “BARRIOS”, ArtLink International, Lake Worth, FL
CRASH, “BARRIOS”, Karolyn Sherwood Gallery, Des Moines, Iowa
“Protocol, CRASHE ONE”, the LAB101, Los Angeles, CA

2002

“The Power of CRASH”, Art Link International, West Palm Beach, FL
“CRASH, Notes from the Westside”, Galerie Speerstra, Paris, France
KAWS & CRASH, MADEgallery, Vancouver, BC
CRASH, “The Train Paintings”, Galerie Speerstra, Paris, France
CRASH, “BARRIOS”, Hostos Art Gallery, Hostos Community College/CUNY, Bronx, NY

2001

CRASH, Fine Arts and Artists, Washington, D.C.
“Breaking Curfew”, CPOP Gallery, Detroit, MI
“Installation”, PROSPER, NY
INT./EXT. Eastwick Gallery, Chicago, IL
“Collaborations: CRASHE ONE”, TRIIAD, Paris, France
“Post-Graffiti New York”, Crash-Toxic, Veranneman Foundation Kruishoutem, Belgium

2000

“CRASH, The Timetable”, Galerie BLU, Pontiac, MI
Dorothy Blau Gallery, Bay Harbor Islands, FL
“Graffiti Indoors”, AZ/NY Contemporary, Scottsdale, AZ
VIPS International, Rotterdam, Holland

1999

CRASH and DAZE: On the Express Train 1977-1999
Palais Liechtenstein, Reldkirch, Austria
CRASH and DAZE: On the Express Train 1977-1999
GroBmarkthallen Munich, Germany
American Graffiti: CRASH & DAZE Musee D?fArt Moderne et D?fArt Contemporian, Nice, France

1998

“CRASH / DAZE”, Enrico Coveri, Florence, Italy
“CRASH, Verticals and Horizontals”, Mary Anthony Galleries, NY
“CRASH”, Vail/Giesler Contemporary Art, Des Moines, IW
“CRASH, The Exhibition”, The Masterpiece Gallery, Birmingham, MI

1997

Bruce R. Lewin Gallery, SOHO, NYC
“CRASH”, 2nd Floor Limited, New Orleans, LA
New York-New Works: John “CRASH” Matos, Galeria Las Palomas, Gaucin, Spain

1996

Dorothy Blau Gallery, Bay Harbor Islands, Fl

1995

“CRASH, The Villains”, Mary Anthony Galleries, SOHO, NYC
Gallery Cotthem, Knokke-Zoutte, Belgium

1994

“CRASH, Works on Paper”, The Hobbs Gallery, Boston, MA
“CRASH”, Mary Anthony Fine Arts, New Hope, PA
“CRASH/DAZE, Recent Works”, York College, City University of New York Jamaica, Queens

1993

“CRASH”, Through Express Part I, ( Retrospective ) MEXI-CARTE Museum, Austin Texas, June 11-July 10
Taller Puertoriqueno, Philadelphia, PA., Oct. 15-Dec. 10
Hostos Arts Gallery, Eugenio Maris de Hostos Community, College of the city of NY, Bronx, NY
Gallery Cotthem, Zottegem, Belgium
CRASH & DAZE, Deux Peintres New Yorkais, Galerie de la Cathredrale Monaco Villa

1992

“New Paintings by CRASH”, Sidney Janis Gallery, NYC
“John “CRASH” Matos : New Works”, C’an Isidro, Ibiza, Spain
“CRASH Superheroes”, Martin Lawrence Modern, NYC

1991

Galerie Michel Gillet, Paris, France
“CRASH”, Galerie Artcade, Nice, France

1990

“CRASH & DAZE”, Gallery Structure, Montpellier, France
Hokin Gallery, Bay Harbor Islands, FL
“CRASH & DAZE”, Black and White in Color Gallery, Bronx, NY