Reading the Streets: Brandon Sadler and Atlanta's ABV Gallery

Rice paper painting by Brandon Sadler, photograph by ABV Creative Agency and Gallery. This image looks vibrant on a T-shirt as well.

ATLANTA – It’s not as easy to find quality street art in Atlanta, the way you would in, say, New York, but there’s at least one gallery in Georgia’s capital city that recognizes local urban artists. The ABV Creative Agency and Gallery (A Better View) in the Historic Martin Luther King Jr. District of Atlanta stays connected to its Southern roots by featuring artists from around the metropolitan area, including Brandon Sadler.

In his exhibit Red Lotus: The Floating World, the former aerosol tagger draws on his recent time in South Korea for inspiration. Sadler’s pieces, all on rice paper, have imagery that tilts between life and death—such as koi fish paired with skulls. Not only does Sadler’s compelling work appear on the walls of ABV, but the gallery also sells special edition T-shirts mirroring his art.

Owned by Greg Mike, ABV offers not just gallery space but an entire design studio that covers just about anything creative. He takes his role in boosting the Atlanta art scene seriously, including hosting monthly “Drink & Doodle” events, in which a dozen or so Atlanta-based artists stop by the gallery to draw and socialize. Their work is auctioned off at the end of the night to anyone who stops by.

ABV, while focused on providing a creative outlet to Atlanta-area artists, doesn’t confine itself to promoting the art of just their local region. On Aug. 12, they will open a new show featuring the paintings and wheat pastings of Los Angeles street artist Shark Toof.

ABV is located at 659 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, GA 30312. To contact them, call 213-915-6448 or e-mail info@abvatl.com. Visit them online at www.abvatl.com .

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE