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Cirrus Editions is pleased to announce the release of “Big Gulp” and “All I Want is a Pepsi”, two new editions with LA-based artist, Grant Levy-Lucero. The editions are 38 x 25 inches each, and incorporate lithography, silkscreen, and archival inkjet printing to create richly textured works on paper.
“Big Gulp” and “All I Want is a Pepsi” are both a direct reference to Levy-Lucero’s playful ceramic vessels, which quite often take Greco-Roman amphorae and hand painted signs in Los Angeles as their inspiration. Naming the prints after the popular soft drinks, the artist brings to mind the comforting nature of these iconic brands, and in placing their logos upon what resemble ancient vessels, tickles us with their godlike presence.
In Levy-Lucero’s first publication, “Big Gulp”, a ceramic vessel bearing the same name, stands on a plinth among Greco-Roman pillars as a volcano fumes in the background. One wonders if this volcano can be appeased. Perhaps – but only the most worthy can be sacrificed to quell this volcano’s fury. Yes, Coca-Cola will do. And then there is Pepsi. Tribute is paid to the ranks of this icon in Grant-Levy’s second publication. We see a blue vessel emblazoned with the title’s logo has sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Having just traveled the depths of the world, a skeletal hand desperately reaches for this object of immeasurable value – but it is too late – an octopus has arrived. It nonchalantly places its tentacles through the handle as the skeleton moans in despair.
“Big Gulp” and “All I Want is a Pepsi” – legendary forces and the fruits of an insatiable quest for the familiar. Their iconic logos, now likened to modern-day hieroglyphs, have become so ubiquitous, they often trigger fleeting memories from our everyday. Perhaps there was an old Pepsi sign on the way home, or maybe there was a Coke bottle sitting on the picnic table last week – you know, the one Octopus left behind. Whatever the associations may be, Levy-Lucero’s new editions recall these moments and playfully guide us through a medley of personal, universal and imagined narratives.
Grant Levy-Lucero was born in Los Angeles, California, where he currently resides. Recent solo exhibitions include Grant Levy-Lucero: Reflections, Night Gallery, Los Angeles; Grant Levy-Lucero: Value, WOAW Gallery, Hong Kong; Grant Levy-Lucero: Pedigree, White Columns, New York; and Grant Levy Lucero: Périphérique, VNH Gallery, Paris. His work has been featured in group shows at Jeffrey Deitch, New York; Arsenal, New York; Gana Art, Seoul; Musée des Arts décoratifs de Paris, FR; Gagosian Gallery, Geneva; and Sans Titre, Paris, among others. He collaborated with Acne Studios on the 2021 Fall/Winter collection and the 2019 Grant Levy-Lucero x Acne Studios collection.
