Last Thursday, Javier Lopez Gallery, presented the Knock Knock group show exhibition to fans in Spain. It featured works from contemporary artists whose work is influenced by comics like Kaws, Faile, Yoshitomo Nara, and comic artists themselves like Vanderbroucke & El Roto as well as underground comic visionaries, Robert Crumb, or graphic novel artists like Art Spiegelman and Chris Ware.
In the upper floor of this wonderful gallery located in the outskirts of Madrid, there was a simple and amazing Snoopy Kaws acrylic on board right next to a big two meter long Faile (Bedwork Fortune). Yoshitomo Nara was presented with six pencil on paper artworks while Phil Frost surprised anyone who entered the room with his mixed technique artwork (including a baseball bat!). There was not only room for these magnificent painters but also there were some sculptural works like a black silicon girl from Paul McCarthy and a piece sculpted by Stefan Strumble that touched on the innocence of Bambi.
In the basement, the exhibition was more centered around comic art. There were wonderful ink drawings on tablecloth by Robert Crumb and sketches from two of the most well know graphic novel artists – Art Spiegeman with some preparatory work from his Maus and The Horn books as well as work from Chris Ware. All in all, it was an amazing walk through the new contemporary art scene and a thrill to rediscover that the comic art isn’t just the little brother contemporary art as its influence is increasing more and more each day.
Words & photos from Alberto Estevez.
Discuss this show here.
