David "Lebo" LeBatard, Miami's own globetrotting musico-surrealist painter is getting his own room at Purdy Lounge. For a month.
And this Saturday when it opens, there will be music, dancing, and the all-important free drinks.
"Purdy is a place I feel most at home in Miami Beach," Lebo says, "among all the superficiality and things that make it cool to be here but shitty to live here."
"Purdy and Jazid are the places I spent the most time in the last 20 years. I've been doing a lot of real upscale corporate stuff and I just wanted to open up creatively. It's really almost like bein' a kid again.
"But it's important that people relate to it and gather something from it. That's the reason why I paint. Otherwise, I would just draw in my sketchbook. This is the way to make it a dialogue with the public, because that's what makes it art to me."
"There's this documentary I'm really into, Radiant Child, about Basquiat. I've seen it many times, and we have a similar way of working in the studio, so I wanted to get back to that, and give it my own rendition."
"For me, Purdy is one of the best clubs on the beach. It's there, the Deuce, Jazid, Abraxas, The Room, Zeke's, and Lost Weekend. I hope a lot of people come and check out the work. It's a blessing to be doing it."
Lebo Room Grand Opening. Saturday, March 10. Purdy Lounge, 1811 Purdy Ave., Miami Beach. Call 305-531-4622 or visit purdylounge.com.
Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL
