Artist Andrew Jeffrey Wright laughs when asked to explain the title of the exhibit “Big Kids, Little Kids.” “A few of us had the concept that the guys from the Alleged Gallery were the big kids, and we were the little kids. Even though we might be older than some of them, they were in New York, they were showing, selling art. So we’d say, ‘Someday we’re going to be showing at Alleged and be big kids like those guys.’”

“Big Kids, Little Kids” focuses on the artists who were there at the beginning of the current underground art movement in Philadelphia. Starting in the 1990s, dozens of artists with DIY attitudes formed leaderless communes and collectives, something new to the city’s art scene. “It has an attitude of ‘We’re just gonna do this, without knowing how or why or all the details. We’re just gonna do this and see what happens,’” says John Freeborn, “Big Kids” curator and author of a book based on the show.

The show, which includes works created over the last ten years, features paintings, drawings, photography, screen prints and some sculptural pieces as well. “It’s all over the board,” says Freeborn. “But I think attitudewise, there’s definitely a common thread. Sometimes that’s not immediately apparent, but as you look deeper into it, the commonalties start coming out.”

“The whole story that the book tells and what I hope the show does, is to say, ‘You can do it. You don’t have to go to school. You don’t have to ask other people’s permission to try things and experiment,’” says Freeborn. “Some things aren’t as complex as they seem, and if you just give it a shot, you might be surprised at the results.”

There’s an opening reception today from 7 to 10 p.m. Regular viewing hours are 1 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. Through September 25. Domy Books, 1709 Westheimer. For information, call 713-523-3669 or visit www.domystore.com. Free.

Sept. 5-25, 2008

This article appears in Sep 4-10, 2008.