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Category Archives: Low Brow & Pop Surrealism

Videos: Gary Baseman X Die Antwoord – “Buckingham Warrior” on MOCAtv

MOCAtv just released their newest video Buckingham Warrior, a tale inspired by Gary Baseman’s (interviewed) father who survived the holocaust. Ben Baseman fought the Nazi invasion in Ukraine’s birch tree forests for almost four years and this new music video (animated by Peter Markowski and scored by South-African duo Die Antwoord) tells his story in his son’s signature imagery. This was created in association with Gary’s current exhibition, The Door Is Always Open (covered) at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Discuss Gary Baseman here.

Openings: Parra – “Il Senso di Colpa” @ Galleria Patricia Armocida

Earlier today in Italy, illustrator, artist, and designer, Parra opened his solo show Il Senso di Colpa (The Guilt) at Galleria Patricia Armocida. In accordance with the title of his show, the artist focused this body of work on the feeling of guilt and similar emotions that are often limiting and troubling for many of us. Through a series of black and white drawings, watercolors, and his signature red & blue acrylic paintings, the Dutch artist showed situations and reactions that are somehow connected with feelings of guilt and self-judgement. […]

Overtime: May 20 – May 26

More stories from the week ended May 26: John Constable masterpiece, Salisbury Cathedral from the Water Meadows, bought by Tate for £23.1mil. RIP: Cecilia Steinfeldt, known as the First Lady of Texas Art, pass away just a week shy of her 98th birthday. Detroit Institute of Art’s multibillion-dollar art collection could face sell-off to satisfy Detroit’s creditors Joseph Beuys biography accuses him of having close ties to the Nazis. SplitArt ends in liquidation due to a split between the investors about its direction. Nils Jennrich, […]

Openings: Scott Campbell – “Things Get Better” @ OHWOW Gallery

Last night, Scott Campbell unveiled a new body of work in Los Angeles at OHWOW Gallery entitled Things Get Better. Mostly consisting of paintings of what he calls “Frankenguns,” jerry-rigged tattoo guns that he was able to make inside of jails in Mexico (with looser regulations than in the United States) and administer tattoos to inmates. Learn more about his unique personal project here and check out some photos from the opening below… Photo credit: Waltercrunk for Arrested Motion. Discuss this show here. Discuss Scott Campbell here.

Preview: “Zombie” @ Last Rites Gallery

Tomorrow night (May 25th), the Zombie group exhibition will be opening at the Last Rites Gallery in New York. Featuring a roster hand-selected by Travis Louie to give their artistic interpretation of the undead, the show is sure to be an interest among fans of these artists. Here we have more preview images of pieces that are destined for the show that will include paintings, drawings, and sculptural pieces including the one seen above (cropped) from Chris Seamon. See the full list of artists and preview here. Discuss this show here.

Upcoming: Eishi Takaoka -“Waiting” @ Giant Robot 2

This Saturday (May 25th) marks the return of Eishi Takaoka to Giant Robot 2 in Los Angeles for another solo showing. Entitled Waiting, the exhibition will feature the serene floating heads that the Japanese artist has become know for. Each sculpture comprises of carved wood painted with raw mineral pigments and although they display an outwardly calm façade, their bottled-up emotions manifest as outlandish formations that are often seen sprouting from each face.

Preview: Scott Campbell – “Things Get Better” @ OHWOW

Tomorrow night (May 23rd) at the OHWOW Gallery in Los Angeles, tattoo and fine artist Scott Campbell will be opening a new solo show entitled Things Get Better. The new series of ink paintings depict his “Frankenguns,” hand-made contraptions built inside prisons to administer tattoos to inmates. This culmination of a personal project he started two years ago took him to the inside of Mexican prisons with improvised tools, a true art form that contrasts with superficiality of the contemporary tattoo world. Check out some preview images below […]

Preview: Dan Quintana – “Zero Instruments” @ Varnish Fine Art

This Saturday, May 25th, Varnish Fine Art in San Francisco will be presenting all new works from Dan Quintana. Zero Instruments will consists of oil paintings and charcoal drawings from the Los Angeles-based artist and will feature his surreal landscapes and fantastical creatures. Drawing influence from Bosch, Quintana’s compositions are rife with leering gremlins and demons meshing with his Mel Ramos-esque girls into works that deserve a second look. Take a look at some more preview images below as well as the artist statement. He […]

Upcoming: “Otherworld” @ Roq La Rue

On June 6th, the Roq La Rue Gallery in Seattle will be opening a new group exhibition entitled Otherworld. Works submitted for the show will center around an artist’s interpretation of the show title which will lead to some intriguing imagery like seen in the painting above from Martin Wittfooth (interviewed). Other participants include Josh Keyes, Chris Berens, John Brophy, Peter Ferguson, Sam Wolfe Connelly, Casey Curran, Madeline Von Foerster, Tom Bagshaw, Kris Lewis, Glenn Barr, Ryan Heshka, Jean Labourdette (Turf One), Dan Quintana, Derek Nobbs, […]

Openings: Mars1, Damon Soule, Oliver Vernon – “Cosmic Terrain” @ Petaluma Art Center

Last month, the Petaluma Art Center north of San Francisco opened up an exhibition entitled Cosmic Terrain, the brainchild of Mars-1, Damon Soule, and Oliver Vernon. As part of the Furtherrr collective, the three friends are no stranger to collaborative works, which along with individual pieces, is what this show is about. The cosmic musings of Mars-1, organic patterns of Soule, and the chaotic abstractions from Vernon fuse and meld so well together, it is sometimes hard to differentiate where one artist’s vision starts and […]