RAMMΣLLZΣΣ: Racing for Thunder

Red Bull Arts New York - New York

Curated by Max Wolf and Carlo McCormick

By Taliesin Thomas

The artist known as Rammellzee-stylized RAMM:ΣLL:ZΣΣ; written RAMM:ELL:ZEE; pronounced “Ram: Ell: Zee”-left a fantastical legacy of art, one that has been attracting greater notice in recent years. “RAMMΣLLZΣΣ: Racing for Thunder” at Red Bull Arts New York brought together a dynamic collection of his writings, paintings, sculptures, works on paper, assemblages, music videos, archival documentation and other rare ephemera in a bold exhibition that embodied the eccentricities of this unusual figure. Curated by Max Wolf and Carlo McCormick and with stunning installation design by studioSTIGSGAARD, this unforgettable show offered a rare glimpse at Rammellzee’s esoteric genius and was billed as the largest survey of one of the most influential yet overlooked artists of the 20^th century.

Born in Far Rockaway in 1960 and raised in Queens, Rammellzee’s given name remains a secret. His chosen moniker, which he called a “military function formation equation,” suggests the integrity of a singular artistic force and hints at a persona that defies categorization. Rammellzee made the urban sprawl of New York City his domain, and it is there he proliferated his hybrid “wildstyle” aesthetic, which explored the cross-sections of his cultural origins and interests: Blending hip hop with mathematics, philosophy with graffiti and social politics with mythology, his work engaged a range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, video, music, graphics, weaponry and costume design.

Similar to his semiotic-loving brethren (and rival) Jean-Michel Basquiat, Rammellzee’s artistic approach was an outrageous mash-up of cultural elements that referenced the symbols and erratic energies of his era. Amid the chaos of the late 1970s and 1980s cultural milieu, he developed his version of a new world through a symbolic destruction of age-old standards of language and meaning and their figurative warfare against standardization enforced by the rules of the alphabet. Beyond his enthusiasm for syntactics and linguistics, Rammellzee infused his art with Afro-futuristic vibes and audacious hues of neon, transforming everything that he touched into a brave version of itself. He was an original hip-hop musician and the first artist to collaborate with the brand Supreme, making hand-painted trucker hats at their flagship store in 1994. Drawing on elements from diverse areas of study, including philology, astrophysics and medieval history, Rammellzee’s mix of intergalactic, street-inspired emblems expresses an individual mythos that ignites the imagination.

“RAMMELLZEE: Racing for Thunder,” installation view. Photo: Lance Brewer. Courtesy of Red Bull Arts New York. © The Rammellzee Estate 2018.

Among the memorable moments of this show was the entire downstairs gallery filled with his fleet of Letter Racers, Monster Models and life-size samurai-cum-alien Garbage Gods wearing full-body ensembles complete with ornate masks, robes and sophisticated armaments-all crafted from detritus-set against a blackened space. This posse of warrior-gangsters and their Day-Glo-accented outfits stood poised as if awaiting word from their overlord. Accompanying this section of the exhibit was a running monologue of Rammellzee’s self-published manifestos on Gothic Futurism-the sound of his stern lecturing voice adding to the amazingly eerie atmosphere of this already outrageous show.

Rammellzee lived out his final years at his Tribeca loft-dubbed the “Battle Station”- and became increasingly absorbed by a private galaxy of his own making. His epoxy-heavy costumes became the impetus for a series of unpredictable personalities, and the artist eventually receded from the scene. The exhibition “RAMMΣLLZΣΣ: Racing for Thunder” brings him back to his deserved spotlight. Highlighting the extraordinary talents of this multidisciplinary artist who also made his mark as a performer, hip hop musician, art theoretician, graffiti writer and style maven, Rammellzee’s visual “slanguage” reconfigures our appreciation of fabulously fun and funky art forms.

(May 4 - August 26, 2018)

Taliesin Thomas is an artist-philosopher, writer, educator and aesthetician based in Brooklyn, N.Y. She is the founding director of AW Asia (2007 – present). Thomas has lectured widely on contemporary Chinese art. She has published in Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art (JCCA) and ArtAsiaPacific magazine in addition to offering regular reviews for ARTPULSE. She received an M.A. in East Asian Studies from Columbia University and is a Ph.D. candidate in art theory and philosophy with IDSVA concurrent with her professional role in the art world.

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