Episode 94: Aaron Rose / Artist, Director, Writer, Curator

Feb 15, 2019

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Director, artist, writer, and exhibition curator Aaron Rose joins the show to talk about how he found himself in the midst of an amazing group of artists in the early 90s in New York and formed what would become the famed Alleged Gallery in the lower east side, how he set about capturing that era in the documentary film "Beautiful Losers", and the evolution of a long career as a creative working with some of the biggest companies in the world as well as continuing to make films, personal artwork, and gallery shows along the way. Growing up in southern California, Aaron became attracted to the skateboard and punk scene of the early 80s and the artwork and since of belonging that came with it. At the age of 19 he moved to New York City and began trying to scrape by, working at a thrift store and slowly meeting like minded people. When an opportunity arose to move into a store front space, he jumped at the chance. Before long he began forming a community around parties with artwork hanging on the walls, skateboarding in the streets, 40s in the fridge, and a general sense of chaos in the air. It wouldn't be long before a lot of other artists wanted to show work there and the word would spread that there was a gallery showing work from the skate and street worlds that were not represented in the New York art scene. That would become the Alleged Gallery and the rest is part of an amazing story of the rise of some very big names in the art world today. You can see this story in the film "Beautiful Losers" that Aaron and others spent 5 years putting together and released in 2008. During our conversation I ask about his work and art leading up to the gallery, the career opportunities that arose after the last days of Alleged and his debut documentary film, how he stays productive and organized working in so many creative outlets, and the advice he gives to others struggling to make it as artists.