EXHIBITION 012

CONTROL GALLERY proudly presents EXHIBITION 012: Don't Stop, a captivating new exhibition by Brooklyn-based artistic powerhouse FAILE. 


Don’t Stop invites viewers into the electrifying visual universe of artists Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller, crafting a world where the city itself becomes an endless muse of imagery, gesture, color, and form. Together, the duo build a vivid narrative celebrating the dynamic essence of a city’s surface as an elemental build block, while illustrating the relentless heartbeat that drives their creative output. The show stands as a testament to McNeil and Miller’s ability to absorb and transform a barrage of inspirations into a singular, cohesive vision that transcends the pages of sketchbooks, delving deep into the realms of visual histories and digital inundation. It navigates a complex mosaic of fragmented realities and the need to “feed the beast” while reflecting on a society perpetually in motion.

This new body of work brings to the fore a collection that spans paintings, works on paper, and distinctive pieces on wood. With a primary focus on acrylics, spray paint, and fabric on both wood and canvas, the show highlights an intriguing array of mixed media, including printmaking, an essential facet of the collaborative’s artistic practice. With meticulous precision, FAILE pieces together their intricate puzzle of artistry, illuminating the ceaseless flow of media and stimuli with a reflective view of the process.


A pivotal evolution of Don’t Stop is the integration of canvases within FAILE's signature wood paintings, introducing a variety in scale, content, and form. Lead by inspirations in craft movements and street level surfaces, this blend allows for a degree of abstraction previously unseen in their work, with background elements usually obscured now playing a central role. Inspired by the structured patterns of advertising to the loose gestural lines of graffiti—the show captures spontaneity and precision.

 

Patrick McNeil (Left) and Patrick Miller (Right) in Studio © 2024 FAILE

 

About the show, Patrick Miller shares, “Don’t Stop is a nod to the city as muse. Relating to repeated imagery from postering, typography and linear types of assembling one would see on a city wall of adverts or signage on store fronts and bodegas. Contrasted by the loose lines of graffiti and buffing that occurs over time, this mix creates an unexpected delight of abstraction and intention, something very much brought to the forefront of these works. It's an exploration of how the city's endless chaos inspires us to keep moving forward, keep feeding the beast, and to never stop pushing.”

 

The theme of exploration and the creative process itself, eschews a single narrative for a broader inquiry into creation and is a central component of Don’t Stop. The artworks navigate contemporary issues from the digital age's impact to environmental concerns, weaving in themes of inspiration amid modern challenges. The collection of works acts as a narrative collage, fusing cultural commentary with nods to FAILE's historical body of work, which itself is influenced by the principles of quilt making, assembling disparate elements into a cohesive and impactful narrative. This technique not only brings separate stories into a unified whole but also illustrates the concept that the collective impact is greater than the sum of its parts—a reflection of their collaborative ethos and the foundational principle behind their puzzle block creations and their synthesis of drawing and collage.

 

The opening reception for Don’t Stop takes place on Friday, May 3, 2024 from 6PM to 9PM PST, with the show on view through June 15, 2024. Exclusive merchandise and printed matter will be available within the gallery gift shop for the duration of the exhibition.

 

GALLERY & RETAIL HOURS 

Wednesday – Saturday: 11AM - 6PM

Sunday – Tuesday: Closed

 

ADDRESS 

434 N La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036

 

About FAILE
FAILE, a name created from the evolution of their initial project 'A Life,' represents the collaborative work of Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller. Formed in 1999, the duo is known for their versatile multimedia approach, utilizing a wide array of mediums to synthesize and assemble their art. Their work blurs the lines between high and low culture, creating pieces that seamlessly integrate various visual elements resulting in traditional mediums to expansive installations. From exhibitions to extensive public installations, FAILE's art captivates a wide audience. Drawing inspiration from popular culture, architectural motifs, and mass media, FAILE's has created a unique body of recognizable icons. Their art, characterized by the city as muse, an emphasis on audience engagement, a critique of consumer culture, and the use of religious motifs, constructs and deconstructs narratives in a way that is both playful and impactful, establishing a distinct and powerful voice for their generation.
 
FAILE is recognized as early pioneers in the global urban art movement and has exhibited at the Pera Museum, Istanbul 2020, Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, 2018; Art Science Museum, Singapore, 2018; Central Academy of Fine Art Museum, Beijing, 2016; Times Square, New York City, 2015; Brooklyn Museum, 2015; Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, 2010; TATE Modern, London 2008, among several others.
 
In 2018, FAILE opened the first of two nightclubs based on its Deluxx Fluxx project, a vivid reimagination of the 1980s arcade underworlds, located in Detroit and New York City. Deluxx Fluxx merges experiential installation, game design and music in a hyper-saturated world of sound and light.
 
www.faile.net

EXHIBITION 012

FAILE

Don't Stop

05.03.24 - 06.15.24

CONTROL GALLERY proudly presents EXHIBITION 012: Don't Stop, a captivating new exhibition by Brooklyn-based artistic powerhouse FAILE. 


Don’t Stop invites viewers into the electrifying visual universe of artists Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller, crafting a world where the city itself becomes an endless muse of imagery, gesture, color, and form. Together, the duo build a vivid narrative celebrating the dynamic essence of a city’s surface as an elemental build block, while illustrating the relentless heartbeat that drives their creative output. The show stands as a testament to McNeil and Miller’s ability to absorb and transform a barrage of inspirations into a singular, cohesive vision that transcends the pages of sketchbooks, delving deep into the realms of visual histories and digital inundation. It navigates a complex mosaic of fragmented realities and the need to “feed the beast” while reflecting on a society perpetually in motion.

This new body of work brings to the fore a collection that spans paintings, works on paper, and distinctive pieces on wood. With a primary focus on acrylics, spray paint, and fabric on both wood and canvas, the show highlights an intriguing array of mixed media, including printmaking, an essential facet of the collaborative’s artistic practice. With meticulous precision, FAILE pieces together their intricate puzzle of artistry, illuminating the ceaseless flow of media and stimuli with a reflective view of the process.


A pivotal evolution of Don’t Stop is the integration of canvases within FAILE's signature wood paintings, introducing a variety in scale, content, and form. Lead by inspirations in craft movements and street level surfaces, this blend allows for a degree of abstraction previously unseen in their work, with background elements usually obscured now playing a central role. Inspired by the structured patterns of advertising to the loose gestural lines of graffiti—the show captures spontaneity and precision.

 

Patrick McNeil (Left) and Patrick Miller (Right) in Studio © 2024 FAILE

 

About the show, Patrick Miller shares, “Don’t Stop is a nod to the city as muse. Relating to repeated imagery from postering, typography and linear types of assembling one would see on a city wall of adverts or signage on store fronts and bodegas. Contrasted by the loose lines of graffiti and buffing that occurs over time, this mix creates an unexpected delight of abstraction and intention, something very much brought to the forefront of these works. It's an exploration of how the city's endless chaos inspires us to keep moving forward, keep feeding the beast, and to never stop pushing.”

 

The theme of exploration and the creative process itself, eschews a single narrative for a broader inquiry into creation and is a central component of Don’t Stop. The artworks navigate contemporary issues from the digital age's impact to environmental concerns, weaving in themes of inspiration amid modern challenges. The collection of works acts as a narrative collage, fusing cultural commentary with nods to FAILE's historical body of work, which itself is influenced by the principles of quilt making, assembling disparate elements into a cohesive and impactful narrative. This technique not only brings separate stories into a unified whole but also illustrates the concept that the collective impact is greater than the sum of its parts—a reflection of their collaborative ethos and the foundational principle behind their puzzle block creations and their synthesis of drawing and collage.

 

The opening reception for Don’t Stop takes place on Friday, May 3, 2024 from 6PM to 9PM PST, with the show on view through June 15, 2024. Exclusive merchandise and printed matter will be available within the gallery gift shop for the duration of the exhibition.

 

GALLERY & RETAIL HOURS 

Wednesday – Saturday: 11AM - 6PM

Sunday – Tuesday: Closed

 

ADDRESS 

434 N La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036

 

About FAILE
FAILE, a name created from the evolution of their initial project 'A Life,' represents the collaborative work of Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller. Formed in 1999, the duo is known for their versatile multimedia approach, utilizing a wide array of mediums to synthesize and assemble their art. Their work blurs the lines between high and low culture, creating pieces that seamlessly integrate various visual elements resulting in traditional mediums to expansive installations. From exhibitions to extensive public installations, FAILE's art captivates a wide audience. Drawing inspiration from popular culture, architectural motifs, and mass media, FAILE's has created a unique body of recognizable icons. Their art, characterized by the city as muse, an emphasis on audience engagement, a critique of consumer culture, and the use of religious motifs, constructs and deconstructs narratives in a way that is both playful and impactful, establishing a distinct and powerful voice for their generation.
 
FAILE is recognized as early pioneers in the global urban art movement and has exhibited at the Pera Museum, Istanbul 2020, Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, 2018; Art Science Museum, Singapore, 2018; Central Academy of Fine Art Museum, Beijing, 2016; Times Square, New York City, 2015; Brooklyn Museum, 2015; Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, 2010; TATE Modern, London 2008, among several others.
 
In 2018, FAILE opened the first of two nightclubs based on its Deluxx Fluxx project, a vivid reimagination of the 1980s arcade underworlds, located in Detroit and New York City. Deluxx Fluxx merges experiential installation, game design and music in a hyper-saturated world of sound and light.
 
www.faile.net