“Thinking outside the box”. That’s such a cliché. The expression has been so overused and abused that it has lost its cachet and using it in reference to true originals doesn’t really say much about how creative said individuals are. Nevertheless, when attempting to describe the ingenuity behind the Art Battles concept, there has never been a better cliché to use.

To make a long story short, Sean Bono and Max Bode put their creative spirits to use in an entrepreneurial way without “selling out”. They took what began as a friendly inter-roommate art battle between them to a whole new level. And today their creation is a premiere outlet for up and coming New York artists seeking to compete against their peers while putting their raw talents on display and wowing crowds in real time.

Some of the artists who’ll be putting it down this Friday are the aforementioned Sean Bono and Max Bode. Concep, Pesu and Fly Lady Di will be co-headlining the showcase alongside the founders and will no doubt bring their own unique styles to the table.

Concep has been down with Art Battles since its inception in 2000, first performed with the show in 2005 and won last year’s MTV | Art Battles. Pesu, a native of Mount Fuji in Japan joined in 2005 and has since become one of the movement’s most recognized names. Fly Lady Di is a full time B-girl, born in Toronto and she now resides in BK. This is her first year performing with Art Battles.

Friday’s show will be taking place at The Green Room on 45 Bleecker Theater, where doors will open at 10:30. There’ll be lots of live art, music and drinks. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty cool way to spend a Friday night.

Also — you can your homework beforehand by checking out the artists in the latest issue of TRACE, downloadable free on the homepage.