For both Matthew Brannon and Online Ceramics, “The Galaxy Song” served as an opportunity to explore the rich visual and conceptual territory associated with the Grateful Dead. The band’s psychedelic origins in the 1960s and their legacy of inspiring fan interpretations of their complex imagery provided the exhibition’s central themes. However, the show was equally a tribute to the screen printing process itself, and an exploration of the sometimes dark, often humorous, and always intriguing corners of American culture across time.
The Grateful Dead, more than just a band, became a social phenomenon, their music giving rise to a unique visual language. This visual identity, though featuring recurring motifs like skulls, bears, turtles, and caricatures of band members, resists rigid definition. The enduring appeal of Grateful Dead imagery lies in its spirit of openness and constant reinvention, mirroring the band’s nomadic and introspective ethos, and their anarchic, self-organizing community.
“The Galaxy Song” intentionally moved away from the typical group exhibition format. Instead, it created a shared artistic space – a “song” – where Brannon and Online Ceramics could express their individual perspectives on a world that is simultaneously chaotic, beautiful, and mysterious.
Matthew Brannon, for over two decades, has pushed the boundaries of printmaking within the art world. His silkscreen prints are the result of extensive research and intricate processes, often involving numerous screens. Brannon’s recent work, including his Grateful Dead series, evolved from his long-term examination of the Vietnam War and its lasting impact on American culture from the 1960s onwards. He sees the Grateful Dead as part of these cultural “ripple effects.”
Online Ceramics, the brainchild of Elijah Funk and Alix Ross, is renowned for screen-printed t-shirts that extend beyond Grateful Dead circles to encompass independent film, popular music, environmental causes, and spirituality. “The Galaxy Song” marked their debut in a contemporary art gallery setting under the Online Ceramics name, despite the project’s conceptual origins in avant-garde traditions. This transition from wearable art to gallery exhibition highlights the evolving nature of Online Ceramics’ artistic practice.
Collectively, the artworks in “The Galaxy Song” showcased a mastery of screen-printing techniques, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of the artists. Imagery from varied sources was blended with original creations and historical interpretations. The exhibition explored different approaches to time and cultural storytelling.
Brannon’s pieces identified connections between the Grateful Dead and a complex web of geopolitical, commercial, and psychological factors. He portrayed postwar America through the lens of its wars, addictions, consumerism, and literary achievements. Online Ceramics’ paintings, in contrast, incorporated Web 1.0 and 2.0 aesthetics as frameworks for watercolor-like fantasies, cryptic texts, and psychedelic visual puzzles. The works throughout the exhibition were characterized by vibrant colors and sharp wit, yet beneath the surface lay themes of longing, fear, and a genuine attempt to reconcile the idealistic positivity of the hippie movement with the darker realities it faced.
True to the Grateful Dead’s spirit of constant surprise, “The Galaxy Song” offered unexpected deviations. Online Ceramics presented a life-size bronze sculpture of a skeleton riding a turtle, a departure from their typical flat canvas work into three-dimensional, material art. Meanwhile, Brannon displayed paintings that moved away from the dense references of his prints towards bold, graphic explorations of typography and design, verging on abstraction.
“The Galaxy Song” was ultimately an exhibition about transformation and change. It reflected the Grateful Dead’s continuous evolution and the transformative power of art and music on individual perspectives. The exhibition encouraged viewers to see things differently, acknowledging the fluid nature of artistic vision and interpretation, and inviting them into a shared dreamlike space.
Matthew Brannon (born 1971) is celebrated for his wit, literary sensibility, and meticulous approach to printmaking. His innovative printmaking often results in unique artworks, defying traditional printmaking norms. His 2019 book, “Concerning Vietnam,” documents his extensive project on the Vietnam War. Brannon’s work has been featured in solo exhibitions worldwide and is held in numerous prestigious museum collections.
Online Ceramics, founded by Elijah Funk (born 1989) and Alix Ross (born 1990), began their collaboration in 2011. They gained initial recognition for their bootleg t-shirts sold at Grateful Dead concerts starting in 2016. Since then, Online Ceramics has collaborated with a diverse range of musicians, filmmakers, and organizations, solidifying their position in contemporary fashion and art. Their designs are available at select retailers, and they have been profiled in major publications, marking their significant impact on contemporary culture. Funk and Ross continue to live and work in Los Angeles, pushing the boundaries of Online Ceramics and their creative collaborations.
