Doomed and Misguided

Those who haven’t heard of Reggie Warlock and Chris Micro have probably seen their character-based graffiti in murals and tags from Oakland to Miami Art Basel. The two artists seem to be endlessly prolific, with an output as energetic as their artwork itself. Filled with neon colors, humor and and a flat, cartoony aesthetic, their work celebrates the worlds of graffiti, hip-hop and skateboarding. The frequent collaborators join forces at Loakal this June for their two-person exhibition, “Doomed and Misguided,” which opens June 6, 6-10 pm.

A battle cry for underground counterculture’s place in fine art, the exhibition will feature new individual and collaborative paintings and a site-specific installation. The artists are self-styled icons whose cults of personality are as much a part of their work as the art itself. While Warlock considers himself an ambassador of ’90s hip-hop counterculture, Micro celebrates the grimy way of life of skaters and misfits with his “#trashlife” slogan that he seems to attach to everything he does. Inside jokes abound in both artists’ work, but their bright, iconic characters have a visual appeal that speaks directly to viewers on its own.