Akira Beard just sent us some awesome preview shots of some upcoming paintings for American Iconomics: New Works by Akira Beard and James Charles, opening Saturday, May 14th, at Shooting Gallery. He was also gracious enough to take a moment and answer a few fun questions for us!

Shooting Gallery Asks: Akira Beard

If you had to use exactly six words to describe your work, what would they be?

“Meaningful unapologetic expressions of us today”

Which popular icon from your artwork do you think would be able to play you in a movie and why?

“Anyone, even the worst actor could play me in a movie because my character would have few to no words, and would spend most of the film looking away from the camera.”

Free Association began as a psychoanalytical tool to gain insight into a person’s subconscious. It’s always fun and interesting to see what first comes to mind when a person reads a specific word and I wrote a few down, loosely pertaining to American Iconomics, and asked Akira to jot down whatever came to mind without censor:

Truth- being present

Power- a fun Ice- T album

Value- the dollar store

Art- meaningless

Freud- neuroses

America- neurotics

Television- everywhere

Money- paper

Winning- Rocky Balboa

More Photos, including some saran wrap madness, after the Jump!


Akira with friend Audi, who will be doing the sculpture for the show.



Akira and one of his students from his teaching job ‘Art with Elders,” holding up one of the works that will be in the show.

Also- Don’t forget to join us for ROA‘s closing party tomorrow night (May 7th) at White Walls, 6-8pm!