This past weekend a group show dedicated to the music of Metallica opened at the Exhibit A Gallery. While I was not able to attend the show, friend of the Creep Machine Brennan was able to make it to the show, take some photos, and write a short review for us. Take it away.
So a few weeks ago I received an email about an invite only show coming up at Exhibit A Gallery here in Los Angeles. It was for a show entitled Obey Your Master and was going to be a group show with artists paying tribute to one of the greatest metal bands of all time, Metallica. The list of participating artists was a who’s who of the current art scene. You had everyone from Travis Louie to Shawn Barber and Sylvia Ji to Shepard Fairey all with pieces re-interpreting some Metallica songs into art. I was obviously very stoked to be able to attend this show, and it did not disappoint at all.
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Opening this Saturday, January 21st at the Copro Gallery in Santa Monica is the latest installment of the Conjoined group show curated by Chet Zar. This show focuses on sculpture and 3-dimensional art by Colin Christian, Scott Musgrove, Kevin Kirkpatrick, Christopher Conte, Dave Pressler, John Cebollero, Charles Kraft, David Richardson, Paul Chatem, Jacob Roanhaus, Zombienose, Joe Sorren, Scott Radke, Shiflett Bros, Ron English, Chet Zar, Neil Winn, and many more.
It’s not often one gets to see so many 3-dimensinal works in one show, especially when all of the art is so amazing. If you are in the area make sure you stop by. While art always looks better in person, sculptures are one of those medium that really need to be seen in person to fully enjoy the space in which they occupy.
Justin Kamerer, also known as angryblue, has just released a new letterpress print entitled Skullflower. This print is a single impression letter press print, 11″ x 12″ signed and numbered in an edition of 100.
Get it here: Angryblue.com
One of the sponsors of the site here, 5 Pieces Gallery, is celebrating their 1 year anniversary. So in order to thank fans, and readers of the Creep Machine, they have given a special discount code to be used at checkout. Just use “Creep” at the checkout and save. They have originals as well as prints in stock, such as the ones from Aaron Nagel and Marion Bolognesi shown below.
Opening this Friday at the WWA Gallery in Culver City is a show dedicated to portraits entitled About Face. This group show features work by Van Arno, Ana Bagayan, Sarah Bereza, Michael Foulkrod , Jeremy Cross, Richard J Frost, Tom Haubrick, JoKA, Jason John, Charlie Immer, Ken Keirns, Dave MacDowell, Laurie Lipton, Richard Salcido, Allison Reimold, Chris Peters, Cate Rangel, Casey Weldon, and many more. The reception is from 8-11 PM, and the show will be on view until February 11th.
Check it out here: WWA Gallery
Coming this Tuesday, January 10th is a co-curated print release from 1xrun and Creep Machine. The print entitled “The Calming” is by Aaron Nagel and is 14″ x 20″ on 140lb French Archival paper, signed and numbered in a max edition of 60. In lead up to the print release, Aaron was nice enough to answer some questions for a new, very in-depth interview here on the site. The image shown below is of the print that will be released tomorrow (right here) at 1xrun, and the rest of the interview features some random images from some of Aaron’s past shows.
Creep Machine: Your a self taught artist, which is very impressive when looking at your work, but music was another path you might have taken. What was it that made you choose painting over music?
Aaron Nagel: I spent years pursuing music and touring with bands, long before the idea of pursuing art as a career even occurred to me. With the bands…the idea of pursuing a career in music started to get in the way of playing music because we loved it. There was a point where we had been touring for so many years that we lacked the energy to keep at it at that level…without some degree of success. We could support ourselves on the road, but only long enough to live a couple months back home before we’d have to go out and make money again. That was fine when I was younger, but even by my mid twenties, the idea of touring for 6+ months out of the year started to become really undesirable. Plus, there were so many factors in whether or not a band “makes it”, that were entirely out of our control, which became really frustrating. Basically, at some point we realized that if we wanted to be in a band, that we would be in band, and we would function in that band exactly how we wanted to, without any consideration for the career aspect of it. That made playing music much more fulfilling, but removed it from the potential careers list. I was getting more serious about painting at the time the band thing was wrapping up, so I decided I’d try to make it my focus, at least for a while. It’s just as hard to make a living painting than it was playing music, but I feel like i’m much better at it, I have more control, and am entirely fulfilled in my career choice…regardless of how successful I am or will be. It’s a good feeling.
A new has started and a new round of featured artists has begun, and to kick of the new year we have Marco Mazzoni as the featured artist for January. Marco creates these beautiful colored pencil portraits, and we even have a short interview with him. I would also like the think last months featured artist Edward Cao who can now be found in the archive. Head on over and check out the work of Marco Mazzoni.
1xrun has just released a new time limited print by Allison Sommers entitled Reliquary. The print is 14.5″ x 12.5″, signed and numbered in a max edition of 50. Allison is a mastermind when it comes to gouache, a medium that many find very difficult to work with. I have been able to see her work in person a few times now, and the level of detail, colors, and consistency in her work is truly remarkable.
I have been meaning to post a print release from LifeVersa (Wale Bambose) for some time now, but every-time a new print is released it’s sold out before I get to it. So I am happy to post about a new print ready for pre-order. Entitled Hell hath No Fury, this 18″ x 24″ print comes signed and numbered in three colorways each one limited to 15. Below is the back version; head on over to the site to see the other colors.
Opening this Saturday, January 7th at the Articulated Gallery in San Francisco is the latest solo show from Arabella Proffer entitled Ephemeral Antidotes. Back in 2010 Arabella was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and through the events that followed came up with the concept for this new show.
“After having a section of my leg removed, I began researching medicine from the Middle Ages through the 18th century; this series was a good way for me to work out my anger and be even more thankful that what I’m going through is nothing compared to old remedies and techniques. My art and interests were in the way society lived in the past, but with emphasis on the defiant, glamorous, and eccentric — not daily strife. You could have been rich, important, or beautiful, but if sick, you would still receive brutal or worthless treatment.”
Arabella is flying out from Cleveland and will be in attendance for the reception from 8 – 11 PM, and there is a good chance her new book The National Portrait Gallery of Kessa will be available as well so you can get one of those and have her sign it right there. It’s going to be an amazing show, and a great way to kick off a new year. Make sure you you stop by and check out the work, meet the artist, and have some fun. Below are three preview images of works that will be in the show, and each image has a short biography to go along with it.
Gretchen
“An ambassador’s daughter with a passion for collecting, Gretchen’s menagerie was near complete when her father brought her the gift of a leopard cub from his travels. It was a sweet little thing, soft and playful, abiding to his mistress when she dressed it up in clothes meant for little boys. But, even the smallest of creatures will start to give in to their nature. It was thought that a flock of geese had spooked him during a game of fetch on the lawns. Gretchen was adamant the leopard knew not what he did, that his claws were bigger than his wits when he mauled her at the legs, dragging her before his final release. No potions, no humours, no herbs or witchcraft could save her. The legs would come off, and all one could do was pray. Pray for the surgeon, pray for the tools, and pray she did not die from enduring it all. Gretchen would never be same after that, lost to a world of darkness and time, languishing in bed, never speaking a word except a whisper to her pets.”
I recently met Zoe Williams when she came to my lecture in New York this Fall. I’d initially discovered her fuzzy-surreal rabbit relief sculptures months prior, and was very excited to meet her in person! Newly moved to Gotham from Seattle, she has been spending a lot of time meeting all the local characters in the scene as well as finding more spots for her soft and witty artwork. At this very moment, you can catch her work in The Matryoshka Show, curated by Michael Alm at Ghost Gallery in Seattle until January 8, or in Roq La Rue’s Lush Life 3 until January 6th. Coming up in February, her sculpture “Gold Rhino” can be viewed on the other side of the country in Hey Beautiful! at Amos Eno Gallery in Brooklyn from February 1 – February 25 with an opening reception on Feb. 2 6-9pm.
Gold Rhino
Crane, Egret and Ibis
Seven Red Eyes
Genesis/Deconstruction
Antlers
Parallax III
