"Episode No. 9" by Lance Pilgrim, Mixed Media on Canvas

50 x 50 Original Artwork Archival Pigment Ink, Spray Paint, Holographic Vinyl on Canvas   Son of a painter and grandson of a jazz singer, popular culture isn’t just nostalgia for Lance Pilgrim. It’s family history. Growing up, this New York born artist and designer was heavily influenced by pop culture of the past, and dove into the comic book, vinyl and VHS collections that surrounded him. From martial arts to blaxploitation, classic jazz to funk and soul, and from arthouse to grindhouse–he grew up in a library of deep-cuts, curated over decades by his culturally immersed family.  Always an eager student, his first public showing was an opportunity to dive further in. As part of the “Behind the Green Door” shows from 2003 to 2006, he was the youngest amongst a well-established West Village collective of artists. He used this as yet another an opportunity to absorb the knowledge of the OGs. Pilgrim went on to further honor the past when he co-created and hosted the nostalgic experiences, Hot Peas & Butta and Bullies & Brothels event series, which revived the cinematic aesthetic and sound of blaxploitation, martial arts, and 70s B-Movies. The international acclaim of these events allotted Pilgrim the opportunity to showcase his own work and curate exhibitions in The Netherlands from 2012 to 2015 with The Notorious IBE and SCHUNCK organizations. In 2014, Pilgrim co-founded Passion & Poison Studio, a branding and creative agency in New York City. Since then he’s focused on furthering the cultural conversation, with collaborations with fellow artist and author Dave Cicirelli on several guerrilla art happenings—including the “Fake Banksy Sells Out” piece, a widely covered response to Banksy’s famous central park art sale. His latest work explores the relationship between nostalgia and identity by both celebrating and questioning the value of mass-produced experience.