Gary Gee’s exhibition City on my Mind is a playful ode to the sights and sounds of city living. Giving life to the inanimate with cartoon-like abstraction, the buildings painted in his cityscapes sway and bend like dancing people in scenes that range from day to night, from cloudy to clear weather. A living spray can points its nozzle at the word “Life,” written in bubble letters on a model freight train in a graffiti-inspired piece called Boxcar.

*Boxcar*
acrylic & ink on 1/2 plastic box car on wood panel

The human figures hold an expressive vibrance, commemorating an abstracted caricature style made relevant by artist Ernie Hines: one of Gary Gee’s early influences. Animated and energetic, these works embody the spirit of the cities which inspired their inception.

*City on my Mind*
acrylic, aerosol, and ink on canvas

Both sculpture and canvas are utilized to portray Gee’s vision. Many canvases are textured in key places to mimic the rough grain of bricks and concrete. Other areas, painted silver, catch the light and glimmer like city skyscrapers. Subtle details pull the viewer deeper into the whimsy of each city scene.

*In the Still of the Night*
acrylic, aerosol, ink, and medium on ceramic & wood panel

The piece Funk Mode (Time 2 get Ill) implements Hip Hop vernacular, conveying the verbal expression of the urban environment. Gold teeth, link chains, fat laces, and 4-finger rings all make appearances in this series, reminding us of an era when American culture began to acknowledge the allure of big city vogue.

*Funk Mode (It's Time 2 Get ILL!)*
aerosol, acrylic, & ink on canvas

Perhaps a longing for the early days, when urban chic was novel and less commodified, is the impetus for these paintings. A reminder of a simpler time when cities were more about culture than expansionism: still pulsating with music, art, attitude, and intrigue.

*City On My Mind (3D)*
hand painted 3D print with aerosol, acrylic, & ink

City on my Mind is currently on display in City Gallery for the month of September.