Boning Up On Art

In a Moleskine safely tucked away in the area of “things to grab if there’s an apartment complex fire,” I have an original drawing on a napkin by one artist, Tonybones. It was from an interview I did with him for a graffiti piece in our long-since defunct section Full Frontal. Young master Bones was but a teen then, known for tagging various parts of the city (though he had an obvious affinity for East Dallas). But soon after, he would be breaking into the legitimate art scene…whatever that means. I always thought his work was art, legit art–it had emotion, it had meaning, it had grit, and it was more than some word easily scrawled before a car drove by, like most taggers opt for. Tonybones’ line characters (for lack of a better description from this simpleton) were charming and intriguing when born from a high schooler’s rebellion, and they’ve grown tenfold in their depth over the years to now…which marks his first solo show at The Public Trust, as well as a foray into other media such as neon, wooden cutouts and the artist’s inaugural limited-edition prints (available at artprostitutestore.com). Support the promise of a life in art at Tonybones: An Exhibition of New Work through September 6 (noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturdays). The Public Trust is located at 2919-C Commerce St. Call 214-760-7170 or visit trustthepublic.com.

Tuesdays-Saturdays, 12-6 p.m. Starts: Aug. 15. Continues through Sept. 6, 2008