Brothers Crae and Corei Washington founded their company Smashed Label in 2011. Crae is the artist and Corei, the businessman. The pair began with creating graphic design concepts for logos and business cards as well as graffiti inspired screen-printing for clothing.
Crae Washington, says there is a reason they chose to call themselves “Smashed Label.”
“We kind of play off that metaphor,” he says. “You can label us anything you want, you can call us what you want but we’ll just change up and do something different, so any labels you give us or anyone else; it's within your power to smash it, to break it, change it, and create your own label.”
More recently, the brothers have dived into the Wilmington art scene. “Smashed Label” has exhibited and participated in the Wilmington Fringe Festival and a mural they created can be seen on the city's West Side.
And now, they’ve launched their first majorexhibition at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts.Crae Washington says “The Popshow” explores our increasing media overload.
“We watch TV and we listen to programs and a lot of focus is on things that are happening to other people that are horrible, and that actually makes money,” he says. “Negativity sells. So pretty much the metaphor is we’re watching TV and a lot of it is on that end of the spectrum.”
“The Popshow” is on display at the DCCA through August 23.
This piece is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.