Jesse Michaels, "War and Crime"

Opening Hours: February 28th (Fri): 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
*Jesse Michaels will be visiting Japan and participating.

Venue: Gallery Commune

This is a solo exhibition of Jesse Michaels, known as the vocalist of the legendary punk band Operation Ivy, and who, as an artist, has also designed record covers for Operation Ivy, Green Day, Neurosis, and others, making a significant contribution to the visual aesthetic of the Bay Area punk scene.

For the past five years, Jesse has been focusing on creating new works, including paintings and drawings focusing on images of "war and crime," separate from his early illustrations. This series debuted in December 2019 at the Apt. Gallery in New York in the exhibition "War and Crime." Featuring drawings of soldiers, spies, and criminals, the works evoked feelings of destiny, loneliness, excitement, and sexuality, evoking a strong response. This exhibition, organized in cooperation with Apt. Gallery, will travel to Japan. In addition to the exhibited works, new art books and merchandise will also be available for purchase. We look forward to seeing you there.

"Humanity's dance with violence and cruelty" never stops. The inner disorder seems inevitable for humans. It is always tragic, incredibly stupid and vicious in the real world, but it is always a source of creativity. However, my work does not deal with the reality of sin or war itself, but rather uses them as a basis for storytelling and personal imagery. The dark side of life is shrouded in mystery, as are love and joy. I began art to understand it all, but just when I thought I had, the mystery deepens again. Jesse Michaels

Jesse Michaels
Known as the vocalist of the legendary punk band "Operation Ivy," which formed in 1987 and disbanded after just two years, he is a Los Angeles-based artist who has been active as an artist/illustrator for over 30 years.
@jesse9michaels

Apt. Gallery
Aiden Tuite and Brendan Brulon are a gallery and project space in New York's East Village that hosts private viewings, events, and exhibitions featuring the work of Mark Gonzales, Daniel Johnston, Sandy Kim, Larry Clark, Dave Schubert, and Chad Moore.