El Toro ten-year retrospective at Ps & Qs Gallery

EL TORO
(image#1)

On October 6^th, I attended a private talk by graffiti and sticker artist, Frost215. Frost215 (or Jason Smith, his given name), along with a few other artists, are credited with single-handedly creating the Philadelphia Character Sticker Art Movement that started about 10 years ago. In 2003, Frost215 created EL TORO (image #1) as a way to set himself apart from the traditional Philadelphia style of graffiti.

He was tenacious and blindly ambitious in making EL TORO's presence known in Philadelphia and soon after, the rest of the globe [1]. Since then, he has had the opportunity to showcase in art shows and solo shows. Frost215 has created a movement in Philadelphia and has inspired others to follow in his footsteps. This type of art available to the public for FREE via stickers/tags on the street.

Why, you ask, is this important to talk about graffiti/sticker art when talking about fine art? How can stickers even begin to be called fine art? They aren’t curated in a gallery, they don’t hang in museums and sometimes people just consider them a nuisance.

Graffiti has a long history of being hated, but recently with the emergence of Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and MOST recently Shepard Fairey, this style of art is becoming more widely accepted and practiced. It is also one that should not be passed by.

Jason got his start by attending the Art Institute of Philadelphia, where he met people from New York who were into graffiti, especially tags which is just the artists name done in a certain font or style.

This opening was a ten-year retrospective of his work on his character EL TORO and how it evolved over the years. This work will hang until the end of the month. I got to also sit down with Frost215 and ask him a few questions after the talk:

1. If you could hand one of your stickers to any one person, who would it be?

Being able to hand a sticker to Obama would be dope. Get all dressed up and get to be able to be inside the White House. I'd have to give him more than one though so he can give some to his kids, too.

2. What was the last book you read?

The Wu-Tang Manual by Rza

3. Who are three artists your currently looking at?

Zachary Smithh (http://zacharysmithh.tumblr.com/)

Nychos (http://nychos.tumblr.com/)

Houseofmeggs (http://www.houseofmeggs.com/)

4.What are you currently doing now?

I'm a freelance graphic designer working out in LA.

I'm also trying to expand my brand MTDR Trading Co.  (http://mtdrtradingco.bigcartel.com/)

5. How does Frost 215 feel about El Toro taking over his identity?

It's always has been a Frankenstein complex. Frost215 will always be the creator and EL TORO will be my monster.

6. Last one, so you're pretty influential in (almost) single-handedly creating the

Philadelphia Character Sticker Art movement. How has it had an impact on your life and do you think that sticker art can become a fine art?

Stickers have provided me access to opportunities I normally wouldn't have as a regular civilian. It leads me to meet plenty of life long friends and even played a part of meeting my wife. I also think it could be fine art because it's a medium that provokes an emotion to the viewer.

El Toro's ten-year retrospective on view at Ps & Qs (820 South Street).

ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT OF FROST215/EL TORO & Ps & Qs.

---

[1] Frost215, Jason. "FROST215 ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN." FROST215 ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN. FROST215, 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2013