On Friday, visual artist/designer Rocky Rug and renowned actor/photographer Lance Gross showcased art from their collaboration entitled “Les Femmes” (meaning The Female) at the Maxwell Dickson Gallery.
Lance and Rocky were great hosts. Attendees included an array of models, influencers photographers, and designers like Angelique Bates, Antonique Smith, Antwoine Evans, Apyrl Jones, Ashley Blaine Featherson, Carlos Battey, Ciera Payton, Dana Dane, DeShaun Foster,Devontae Roper, Dior Allen, Domonique Racquel, Elke Madler, Evan Ingram, Karen Bystedt, Kenny Higgins, Kevin McCall, Kierra Washington, Monda Scott, Morgan Stover, Paige Hurd, Robin Dial, Skyler Grey, Sundy Carter, Torian Ellison, Tyran Brown,Wesley Jonathan, Kelly Perine, Kenny Higgins, Kenya Marche, Dunlap Exclusive, Marcus Davis, Camilia Poindexter,Brandon Marquiste, Quddus Philippe, Terrence J , Miss Diddy LA , Joe Exclusive, John Born and Tyle Pley.
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“Les Femmes” featured pieces that truly demonstrated the beauty of the female body. The show also featured pieces from Ron Bass, Tonia Calderon and Maxwell Dickson himself. Each painting represented a different facet of a mood and personality. Some pieces were minimal. User created art, added a nice touch. The underlying message of the exhibit was to highlight the importance of women and being comfortable with oneself.
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Read our exclusive interviews below:
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Rocky Rug
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So how does it feel to collaborate with Lance who is one of the biggest photographers/ actors in the game right now and who initiated the collaboration?
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I’ve known Lance for a while, so he’s been my friend since I came out here from Sweden. So I just decided I wanted to do something different and that’s why I just asked him. I love his photos. It was more of a casual thing, but I’m definitely very grateful, excited and blessed to have a friend like him to be able to collaborate with me like this. I sent him a text and said ‘hey you wanna collaborate ? He had seen a photo that I’ve done with illustration work with Cara Delevingne face and he was like omg I love this I definitely want to collab and I as was like YES! I just took a chance and asked it wasn’t anything crazy.
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What was the inspiration behind these pieces?
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Well my main focus in art is women … So I just picked every photo that I really liked, I like doing nudes and I like a lot of facials and stuff like that, so he had basically exactly what I wanted and it was exciting to do work on top of that.
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Why are women your focal point?
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I’ve always been obsessed with female bodies and the reason for that is because I used to be so skinny when I was younger I looked like a stick and so I’ve always been obsessed with curves so the more I grew up I started painting more curvy women and I got really into it because it was so beautiful and I met a lot of people that downgraded they’re bodies when they looked so beautiful. For me it’s about embracing your curves, embracing your flaws. Even for me being every skinny I embrace it. It’s putting out a message that you should embrace every feature that you have. Sometimes you have to look at yourself and be like I’m beautiful!
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Lance Gross
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Why did you want to collaborate with Rocky?
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Rocky is fly. She’s just that person you see and she’s just somebody you want to know, she’s fly like that. I recognized that. We’ve been friends for a minute and I was familiar with her work so I thought it would work and it did.
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What drives you to collaborate in general.
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I just have an appreciation for art that’s really what it boils down to for me. I think I have an eye for good art, and with Rocky, it just worked.
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What keeps you interested and inspired?
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Just evolving, I’m growing everyday, I try to better myself with every single shoot that I do. Whether that’s the models that I’m using or the art I’m trying to display, I’m just trying to better myself. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon, so that’s how I look at it.
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What else do you have lined up?
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Well you know I’m an actor first so there’s a lot going in that world for me, it’s Pilot season right now. I’ve just joined a popular show, I can’t just say what just yet, but people will figure it out sooner or later. But I keep that first and this is second for me, but the sky is the limit.
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Where do you see yourself by the end of the year?
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Man, it will be night and day. People look at me like I’m successful right now but they haven’t seen nothing yet, I’m only on the 3rd step right now and I’m going for 20 steps. So by the end year man it’s gonna be a good damn look.
Guests enjoyed drinks from Belaire Rose, Seduce Vodka, Destiny Moscato, Skimpy Mixers and Huberts Lemonade, as well as desserts by Sweet Serenity Desserts. The event was produced by Damilola Bajomo and Na’Asiaha Simon.
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-Darius Stone
