Guy Hepner Gallery

Terry Urban The Proposal For Sale

Terry Urban
Terry Urban - The Proposal, 2024, Acrylic, oil, airbrush, pastel, and aerosol on birch wood panel

The Proposal, 2024

Acrylic, oil, airbrush, pastel, and aerosol on birch wood panel

48 x 36 in

About this work

Terry Urban's "The Proposal" presents a striking composition rendered across a birch wood panel, where the artist's characteristic layering of materials creates a surface that oscillates between depth and flatness. The work demonstrates Urban's mastery of mixed media, combining acrylic and oil with the softer gradients achievable through airbrush and pastel, while aerosol applications introduce an urban edge that anchors the piece in contemporary visual culture. The birch substrate lends a warmth to the palette, its natural grain subtly asserting itself beneath the accumulated layers of pigment. The composition draws the viewer into an intimate moment charged with anticipation and vulnerability. Urban's gestural marks move between precision and spontaneity, creating visual tension that mirrors the emotional weight suggested by the title. Areas of meticulous detail give way to looser, atmospheric passages where colors bleed and dissolve, evoking the uncertainty and hope that accompanies significant life moments. The substantial scale at 48 by 36 inches commands presence, inviting extended contemplation while maintaining an accessibility that characterizes Urban's broader practice. This work exemplifies Urban's ongoing exploration of human connection and pivotal emotional experiences, rendered through his distinctive synthesis of street art sensibilities and fine art techniques. The dialogue between controlled application and expressive gesture reflects his interest in capturing authentic feeling within carefully constructed visual frameworks. "The Proposal" stands as a testament to Urban's ability to transform personal narrative into universal resonance. For inquiries regarding the acquisition of this work, please contact Guy Hepner gallery in New York.

Price on Application

Edition & Provenance

Year
2024
Medium
Acrylic, oil, airbrush, pastel, and aerosol on birch wood panel

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The Proposal

About Terry Urban

Terry Urban was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and moved to San Diego after high school to pursue skateboarding, where he was first introduced to turntablism. He returned to Cleveland to work as a DJ, later landing a role at Sirius Satellite Radio, before relocating to New York City in 2006 to focus on music full time. He built a career producing mixtapes, including Viva la Hova, Southerngold, and Biggie Stardust, earning recognition from artists including Jay-Z, Coldplay, and Drake.

In 2015, after more than a decade in the music industry, Urban returned to painting, treating it as a new creative outlet and eventually a full-time practice. His work is bold and gestural, combining vibrant color with symbolic, often somber imagery, including skulls, bones, and fragmented figures that speak to mortality, resilience, and inner conflict. Despite the weight of his subject matter, his paintings carry an underlying sense of energy and momentum, shaped by the same restless drive that carried him through skateboarding and music.

Urban brings a disciplined, almost ritualistic approach to his studio practice, working extended painting sessions often set against music or film. His path from street culture to music to visual art has become part of his artistic identity, and his work resonates as a document of reinvention as much as a body of paintings.

Guy Hepner works with collectors seeking Terry Urban's bold, symbolic paintings shaped by his path through music and street culture. Contact us to discuss available inventory or to inquire about upcoming releases.

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