BB Bastidas at Kayo

The skate store Kayo was all a blue-glow at the opening for new paintings from artist and muralist BB Bastidas.  The show, titled “Fuck BB,” drew in wide-eyed skater fans and others to enjoy the magical world of big-bootied, voluptuous, multi-dimensional goddesses, surrounded by swirling inter-galactic color and speckled with BB’s personal hieroglyphics. BB’s eye is beholden to enjoying the absolute lusciousness of life, and his work is bold and brazen. Surprisingly however, it also offers an intriguing element of mysticism and an unexpected respect and appreciation for the unknown.

My favorite piece of the night was of a cross-legged beauty wearing nothing but a Native American headdress and old brown shoes. She floats through space and seems to be waiting for instructions on what to do next. I also loved the ceramic skull decorated in BB’s signature blue and white dashes, wearing a similarly colorful headdress.

Two girls from the Oceanside-based Hillstreet Country Club excitedly showed me a BB Bastidas “zine” filled with his cartoons, sketches and slogans. An Oceanside native, BB showed in Hillstreet’s first art show ever just last year and they, along with many others, made the drive up from Oceanside to support their longtime friend and art-conspirator. BB himself seemed overwhelmed and pleased with the amount of support that turned out to wish him the best on his opening night. It was hard to even have a conversation with him, as every 30 seconds fans and friends would ask to him to pose for pictures, ask for a hug or just stop by to wish him a dreamy hello. His fans love him; his friends adore him.
Since CARTWHEEL has supported and celebrated passing of the new Los Angeles  City Mural Ordinance that tentatively lifts a decade-long prohibition on murals adorning privately owned buildings, I couldn’t help but engage with B.B. about his feelings for murals and how it might affect his near-future work. He says:

I am planning on doing as much as possible in as short a time as possible.

CARTWHEEL recently covered a very large blue lady painted by BB in LA’s Art District, and it seems that we can look forward to more big street art from BB.

The night was appropriately rounded off up on the roof of Kayo, where skaters used the empty parking lot to do their thing. Pizzanista! served up their delicious unique slices–BB recently designed their newest pizza boxes–all adding to the street-fare feel of the night. Happily, we can expect much more to come from this passionate, much loved artist, both on the streets and in the studio.

BB Bastidas-designed skate decks and skatewear available at Kayo, and his art will be up “as long her wants it there.”

Kayo
464 Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323-677-2104
Open daily 11am-6pm