- Words and Photos by The Echo Parker
Little By Little, Learn About Little Ricky Pt. 6
On a bright April afternoon with our heads craned to see the entirety of the massive 7575 Melrose Street Art Wall in Los Angeles, CA; Little Ricky and I talked about a wish he had for this wall. He hoped to bring SHEEP to the top of this infamous wall, which stood nearly 25 feet high and required special permission. Other artists such as: Teachr1, Muck Rock, Wrdsmth, Vegan Club, C3, Kafka is Famous, Trasheer, Dylan Egon, drsc0, PhoebeNewYork, GoopMassta, AngelOnce, Antennae, Unfukyourself, MDMN, Dirt Cobain, RendaWriter, Uncutart, Adam Dare, Homoriot, and El Ninja Blanco had left their mark on this wall, and he wanted to be next!
Months passed, and Little Ricky was eventually given a prime spot two stories high on the 7575 Melrose wall. If that wasn’t thrilling enough, NYC photographer & filmmaker TheDustyRebel reached out to Little Ricky, requesting he take part in his documentary. Daniel “Dusty” Albanese began production on his first feature length documentary and book which explores the global Queer Street Art movement. Dusty has been traveling the world to document queer street art and the wonderfully queer people who make them, and his journey led him to Little Ricky and his work on the 7575 Melrose Wall.
“There was lots to prepare for Dusty's documentary on Queer Street artists. I’m excited to be part of this untold story. Aside from getting the concepts/work together, finding a spot was a challenge. At the last minute the #7575 Melrose spot came together. For years I've been told that SHEEP needed to be larger. I was nervous at first, not about, doing the pasteup, but of something not going right. The experience of pasting up a 6ft Anna Wintour and her mini Supermodel friends on scooters was super special. Getting up on a scaffold for the first time was a little nerve racking at first, but once I got going it felt natural. As I move onward, I know that putting up larger pieces will be important to my career.” - Little Ricky
And then...
Stephen Levey, award winning street photographer, invited Little Ricky to be part of his series, Projection Project. A private, invitation only, experience taking place in the evening where Stephen projects an artist’s work onto a building reaching up to 30 stories high. Thanks to you and PasteyWhyte, Stephen invited me to photograph the private screening, and it was a unique experience I will never forget.
" I was excited when I first saw Stephen Levey start his projection project! What an amazing concept, I thought. I left a message on his FB post and was kindly told that I was already on his list of artists. Woohoo! Seeing SHEEP on a large scale is just what I needed. But hanging out with him and chatting about the project was even better! I’m already looking forward to doing it again with a new Levey inspired SHEEP. What a special gift he does for us artists!" - Little Ricky
After the completion of the Projection Project and the 7575 Melrose Wall, The Little Ricky SHEEP Domination continued onto the Gabba Gallery. Gabba is a contemporary art gallery in LA which features work by both emerging and established artists. Jason Ostro, director and curator, has taken Gabba Gallery beyond the traditional easels and sculptures and let street art flow onto walls and alleyways through The Gabba Alley Project which features murals from street artists from around the world. While having worked on Ostro’s Remix and Wishlist groups shows before, this 2019 event provided Little Ricky yet another chance to inspire others through his art.
"Back in 2016, Jason Ostro gave me an opportunity to be part of Remix and Wishlist groups shows. Since its inception in 2012, I'd been visiting the gallery; and it feels like home. I always look forward to not only creating works for their shows, but seeing them exhibited on their walls. The two Keith Haring inspired pieces for the Remix 2019 show were simple in design, yet time consuming. About 20 layers of paint!" - Little Ricky
Not letting all his projects tire him out, Little Ricky is traveling to Paris, France next to bring SHEEP to Europe. His unique vision is sure to liven up the Parisians and bring a little bit of fun and queerness to the cobblestone streets.
“As I get ready for Paris, I find myself feeling a little overwhelmed, yet excited. This will be my first time there. I'm looking forward to adding a little pink to the city. I've created new SHEEP designs especially for Paris. Anna will be wearing couture and drinking champagne! Now back to the drawing board." SHEEPS got work to do!" - Little Ricky
