Urban Artist Tony Rōkō 's Newest Work At The Charles H. Wright Museum Of African American History

Sept. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- DETROIT, MI - The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, along with First Lady Yvette Bing, Chair, and Co-Chairs Jo Coleman, Jennifer Fischer, Cynthia Ford, and Kim Reuss, invite you to attend an evening of art, music and dancing like none other...

The Dance Theatre of Harlem: 40 Years of Firsts Gala. This dazzling, one-of-a-kind experience and unforgettable evening of dance includes: "Ballerina" featured work by Urban Artist Tony Roko, dinner, live entertainment by Grammy Award-winner Miri Ben-Ari, private tours of the "40 Years of Firsts" exhibit, Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble performances including New Bach and Return, and The Muse After Event.

Friday, September 9, 2011, from 7 pm - 1 am

About Tony RōKō
Antoni RōKō Ivezaj grew up as the only American-born child in his family, which had migrated from Montenegro (part of the former Yugoslavia) to Detroit. Between the violence of the riots and the indulgence of Woodstock, RōKō's parents feared the American culture which they didn't understand and raised him in a close-knit Montenegrin community. Television became RōKō's window to the American pop culture that he was strongly discouraged from being a part of. It was the bold aesthetics of the 70's and beautiful imagery of the multi-cultural characters that caught his eye. Street savvy subjects with urban swagger began turning up in RōKō's drawings at a very young age.

At the age of 18, like many others in the motor city, RōKō hired into Ford Motor Company to work on the assembly line. "It was physically and mentally exhausting" says RōKō of the job that would change his life forever. During his breaks, RōKō would sketch to escape his new reality, often drawing the "characters" within his environment; in this case, the factory culture. After a year of working the line, the UAW/Ford management took notice of RōKō's raw abilities. Overnight RōKō was assigned to paint murals on half century old factory walls in an effort to boost company moral amongst the "blue collar" workers; a tall order considering RōKō hadn't had any experience with painting. "It was like a concrete and steel jungle" RōKō explains, "I had no idea what materials to use, but I did know that there was no paint in a tube that would hold up to the harsh plant environment.” RōKō began experimenting with industrial and automotive enamels in an effort to come up with a durable solution. RōKō's images began turning up throughout the Ford system. From gritty walls to grand openings, RōKō continued sharpening his skills as a painter but had begun to feel like something was missing from his work. The muted colors and realistic style that was appropriate for the "corporate world" began to lack the feverish nature of his childhood creations.

At that point, RōKō made a decision to create "from the heart" again, without the boundaries that he had grown wary of in his job. He began to feel the need to become more selfish with his creations and to paint what he felt was true to him as he had as a child. Combining this attitude with 20 years of experience, his creative expression exploded. He again began to experiment, this time by painting on scrap metals and reclaimed pallets; repurposing traditionally industrial materials in order to create a kind of art that had not been seen before. His vision was to combine the gritty feel of the factory with a new, urban flair.

Tony quickly emerged as one of the Motor City's most sought after artists. His work can be found at some of Detroit's premiere exhibitions and most influential galleries. Self taught, he made his own path into the art world through the unique use of these post-industrial materials. RōKō's work can be seen at the Motown Museum, and he has been commissioned by Coca-Cola to create original pieces. His work can also be viewed in the permanent collection of the Michigan State Capital building and has been selected to show at the prestigious Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, with a solo show to be announced later this year. From the floors of the factory to the walls of the galleries, that same industrial grit can still be found in his work today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=788mcJV57QQ&eurl=http%3A%2...



Additional RōKō
Find Tony RōKō's work at the following:
@ the City Opera House - Traverse City, MI |  August - September 2011 | www.cityoperahouse.org
@ UPTOWN Magazine | October/November 2011 Issue |  www.uptownmagazine.com
@ http://www.tonyroko.com/
@ http://www.marketingcamp.net/tonyroko

Media inquiries, please contact:
Clifton L. Camp, Esq. | MarketingCamp, LLC | clifton@marketingcamp.net | www.MarketingCamp.net | 877.751.2950 (o) | 770.733.0969 (c)

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