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KISS x Ukiyo-e Project

Date: 2016 February 09 15:32

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With the release of Miss Hokusai Ukiyo-e prints are in the spotlight. Iconic band KISS have launched the KISS x Ukiyo-e Project which involves a collaboration with Japanese traditional Ukiyo-e art creators the Ukiyo-e Project. It features the KISS iconic style thrown into the world of traditional Japanese woodblook prints.

The Sunset Marquis/Morrison Gallery Hotel in Los Angeles will be hosting a KISS retrospective exhibition which will showcase the debut of the collaborative Ukiyo-e art pieces from Saturday 13th February 2016.

This is not the first time KISS have collaborated with Japanese culture icons, they've collaborated with Japanese super star Hello Kitty for KISS x Hello Kitty, which had a line of clothes and cool vinyl figures (this was one of our favourite collaborations with Hello Kitty since she teamed up with Gloomy Bear). KISS also teamed up with Japanese idol group Momoiro Clover Z.

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Press release as follows:

Morrison Hotel
Gallery
Fine Art Music Photography

Morrison Hotel Gallery Will Celebrate The Grammys and the Legacy of KISS with A Career-Spanning Exhibit and Special Appearances by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
- Featuring the KISS x UKIYO-E Project -

AMERICA’S #1 GOLD RECORD AWARD WINNING
GROUP OF ALL TIME (In All Categories) (RIAA)

KISS x Ukiyo-e Project

In celebration of Grammy Week, on Saturday, February 13th from 6 to 8 PM, Morrison Hotel Gallery at the Sunset Marquis Hotel will honor KISS with a ca-reer-spanning photographic exhibit, and debut the first edition pieces from the KISS + UKIYO-E Project. From 6:00 to 6:30 PM, KISS founders and rock n’ roll icons Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley will make a very special appearance.

Morrison Hotel Gallery salutes the Grammys and the legacy of the seminal rock band with an exhibition that will feature iconic and revealing images of the group along its journey from fiery upstarts to megastars. The exhibit will also include the debut of the KISS + UKIYO-E Project which showcases a unique selection of stunning multi-colored wood block prints, representative of one of Japan’s most revered traditional genre of art. The KISS Ukiyo-e are first edition prints, limited to only 200, and are signed by the band. The ‘KISS Ukiyo-e’ project started in fall of 2014 as the first of its kind collaboration with a team of Japanese master artisans, and has culminated in these wonderful pieces of fine art being displayed here in their first comprehensive international feature exhibit. Widely popularized during the 1600s in Edo era Japan, Ukiyo-e famously depicted current events and often illustrious entertainment industry figures and scenes, and thus this contemporary collaboration with KISS is the perfect modern day continuation of the Ukiyo-e tradition.

KISS x Ukiyo-e Project

The photographers that are a part of this exhibit have shaped the careers of many artists, and have become pop culture legends in their own right. They include Bob Gruen, Danny Clinch, Lynn Goldsmith, Neal Preston, Norman Seeff, Patrick Harbron and Travis Shinn. The images display the group dominating the stage, captured by Patrick Harbron’s anthemic perspective, Norman Seeff’s snapshots of the blood-thirsty young band, and Neal Preston’s playful holiday shots. Also included are se-lect images from Lynn Goldsmith’s catalog, which span the glory years of 1977 thru 1980. Danny Clinch and Travis Shinn contribute more recent images, showcasing KISS in a victorious elegance as international ambassadors of rock n’ roll. Representing KISS’s worldwide adulation is a series of Japanese prints that marry the traditional art of Ukiyo-e with KISS iconography for a dazzling cross-cultural exchange.

The slogan "You wanted the best, you got the best!" has become synonymous with the rock band KISS right before they hit the stage. For 43 years, the band has deliv-ered on the promise of defying trends and weathering lineup shifts to consistently provide anthemic rock n’ roll, performed and packaged with majestic brilliance.

Grammy week is a time to reflect back on achievements in music, and to celebrate the artists that have made those achievements. No band around today has a history, or rather, a KISS-tory, like KISS. They were nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1999 for Psycho Circus.

KISS x Ukiyo-e Project

About Ukiyo-e and the Ukiyo-e Project:
First popularized during the 1600s in the Edo era, Ukiyo-e is one of the most widely recognized and respected traditional genre of Japanese art. Ukiyo-e, or "woodblock prints" as they are referred to in English, a hand-crafted through a meticulous multi-stage collaborative process of illustration, wood carving, and printing with colored ink, taking a team of artisans 8-12 months to complete one work. Combining the Japanese words for current events "ukiyo" and painting "e," Ukiyo-e literally meant artistic portrayals of current events. During the 1600s-1800s, Ukiyo-e largely depicted news and events of the times, often scenes of entertainment, fashion and travel, Kabuki actors, beautiful women, sumo wrestlers, and landscapes. Ukiyo-e by masters such as Hokusai, Sharaku, and Utamaro remain to this day amongst the most iconic and well known representative pieces of Japanese art in the world. With craftsmanship and skill being passed down through generations over 400 years, there currently are only 9 Ukiyo-e wood carvers and 30 printers in Japan. The Ukiyo-e Project is a contemporary initiative founded by Yuka Mitsui with the objective of continuing this treasured traditional art form, supporting artists, expanding collaborations, and bringing Ukiyo-e to new audiences around the world.
www.ukiyoeproject.com

About KISS:
As America’s #1 Gold Record Award winning group of all time, and that’s in every category, KISS can easily be named one of rock’s most influential bands. The Rock N Roll Hall of Famers have released 44 albums and sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. Honored by their peers, KISS received the illustrious ASCAP Founders Award in 2015.

Over 40 years of record-breaking global tours have brought KISS to their fans. They kicked off their recent world tour with 5 headlining shows in Japan and a #1 single in 2014 "Samurai Son" with pop group, Momoiro Clover Z. Their 40th Anni-versary World Tour also rocked North America, South America and Australia. Addi-tionally, once a year the "KISS Army" becomes the "KISS Navy" as fans from across the globe board the KISS Kruise (2016 year will mark their 6th voyage).

KISS teamed up with Warner Brothers in 2014 to create the well-received original movie Scooby Doo and KISS: Rock And Roll Mystery. Other high-profile appearances have included the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics, Rockin' The Corps concert, a FOX alliance with KISS appearing in multiple episodes of Family Guy, plus two spe-cial guest performances on American Idol finales.

KISS has been featured in major advertising and marketing campaigns for John Varvatos, Google Play, Hello Kitty- even appearing in a Dr. Pepper Super Bowl commercial and advertising campaign in support of their Hottest Show On Earth tour. This year represents the 3rd season of the LA KISS Arena Football League team bringing professional football back to Los Angeles. KISS founding band members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have also entered the culinary world by opening a string of successful restaurants aptly named Rock & Brews.

KISS is dedicated to numerous Veterans Organizations including: The Wounded Warriors Project, The USO, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce "Hire A Hero" program, The Legacy Organization in Australia, Help For Heroes United Kingdom and The Dr. Pepper Snapple Groups Wounded Warriors Support Foundations. For more information, visit www.KissOnline.com

About Morrison Hotel® Gallery:
Morrison Hotel® Gallery (MHG) was founded in 2001 by former record company executive Peter Blachley, music retail industry professional Richard Horowitz, and legendary music photographer Henry Diltz. In 2012, author, director and photographer Timothy White joined the team, launching an additional West Coast gallery at The Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood.

MHG is the world's leading brand in fine art music photography representing over 100 of the world’s finest music photographers and their archives. Their vast catalog of photography encompasses jazz, blues, and rock imagery spanning several generations through to today’s contemporary music artists and now includes iconic photographs in the world of sports as well. MHG has a robust online presence, featuring over 100,000 images searchable by photographer, music artist, band or concert. www.morrisonhotelgallery.com.

Morrison Hotel Gallery
116 Prince Street || New York, NY 10012
212.941.8770

Morrison Hotel Gallery
Sunset Marquis
1200 Alta Loma Road || West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.881.6025
www.morrisonhotelgallery.com

Source: KISS
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