Luscious Jackson founding member Jill Cunniff will showcase a new dimension of her many talents with her first exhibition of original artwork, Lyric and Word Paintings. The exhibition will run from Thursday, September 20th through Sunday, September 23rd at 198 Allen Street in New York City.
The opening night event will take place 7-10 pm on September 20th and will include a one night only acoustic set by Jill, performing songs spanning the Luscious Jackson catalogue, as well as from her 2007 solo album, City Beach.
Commenting on the inspiration and process behind her paintings, Jill explained: “I’ve been painting my whole life. As a teenager, I used to paint and write songs kind of like a hand off, switching between the two over the course of an afternoon. I listen to music when I am doing artwork; it’s a big part of the process. I’m influenced by New York City’s streets and the posters and writings that pile up on top of each other, creating layers of color and text. I came of age in 1980s downtown NYC when graffiti and hip-hop met punk. Later, I was introduced to the work of Bay Area Figurative artists while studying painting at U.C. Berkeley, and their glowing landscapes also had a deep influence. So my paintings have elements that are both hectic and serene.”
Jill Cunniff co-founded Luscious Jackson in 1991. The band’s unique and streetwise blend of punk, funk, and the various musical and cultural styles of its native NYC emerged via Beastie Boys’ Grand Royal label with the 1992 Village Voice Pazz & Jop Best EP winner In Search Of Manny. Debut album Natural Ingredients was released in 1994, featuring the single “Here.” Luscious Jackson’s sophomore album Fever In Fever Out dropped in 1996, including the hit “Naked Eye” and earning the band its first gold record. Album number three, 1999’s Electric Honey (featuring “Ladyfingers”), preceded Luscious Jackson’s 2000 break-up. During that lengthy hiatus, Jill was a songwriter for other artists, produced the house music group Cooler Kids, and released her 2007 solo album, City Beach. In 2013, Jill resumed her role as vocalist, bass player and principle songwriter of Luscious Jackson for the band’s long awaited fourth album, Magic Hour.
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