“You may stand out against it, and shut your eyes, but they will be forced open; mark my words, you will have to yield to the inevitable.” – Arthur Machen, ‘The Three Impostors’
Underneath the changing skies, Darkness seethes and smoulders. Beyond our world of slick steel, grey stone and entertainment on demand, it seeps as if through cracks in the atoms of reality; For the rare few, concepts holding deeper mysteries are channelled and moulded into something great. For one Arthur Machen, deep in the heart of London in 1895, the mysteries within the Darkness spoke; His ground-breaking novel “The Three Impostors” was born. Following the macabre doings of two males and one female as they prowl the streets for the elusive ‘man in spectacles’, a tale of blackness, horror and lies unfolds. Fast forward to 2015, and a new Three take it upon themselves to revive the spectacular essence of this cult novel especially for Krab Jab Studio, deep within the heart of Georgia. Loosely based on the novel yet no less provocative, the pages continue to turn: enter Bastien Lecouffe Deharme, Marcela Bolivar, and Samuel Araya.
The original tale of “The Three Impostors” is a novel of cerebral horror, prickling addictively underneath your skin and leaving echoes of itself behind like a psychological tattoo. A far cry from the slasher horror of the modern day, “The Three Impostors” moves you through scenes of dark tension, ambiguous meaning and alluring, terrifying mystery.
‘The Three Impostors’
Exhibition Dates:
October 10 – November 7, 2015
Opening Reception:
October 10, 2015 | 6-9pm | Artist Talk at 7:30pm
Bastien Lecouffe Deharme and Samuel Araya will attend and will also contribute to Krab Jab Studio’s new Artist Chat Series facilitated by owner and Curator Julie Baroh, which will be posted on Krab Jab’s new YouTube channel.
Krab Jab Studio
5628 Airport Way S, Ste 150 | Seattle, WA 98108
For more information or to register attendance at the opening night, please contact the gallery at: [email protected] or call 206-707-9311
Sixty Stone – Marcela Bolivar
Even in a time when acute darkness and horror could cause national controversy, Arthur Machen refused to comply with his publisher’s requests to censor the initial manuscript. Our modern day Three Impostors hold their heads up high to continue this ethos of uncensored creativity, forging explorations into the haunting and the sensuous in their entirety. Part of the beauty in Krab Jab’s latest exhibition is the symbolic meeting of the past and present. Drawing forth on the century old muse, the gallery’s three exhibiting artists use modern technology to help weave echoes of the novel’s shadowy and cryptic undertones through haunting yet beautiful digital paintings. Each final piece is a giclee print on archival paper, signed – any copies of each piece are decommissioned (destroyed or archived), leaving only the one final print left in existence for the show.
In another twist in the tale, Bastien Lecouffe Deharme, Marcela Bolivar and Samuel Araya prepare you to step into a world which seeks to understand principle elements of our pagan past:
“The images are riddled with symbolism,” Krab Jab Studio’s owner and Curator Julie Baroh explains, “…the female figure is our guide into the abyss of dreams. She is solemn, sometimes melancholy, and even rife with arrows she is never our victim; she isn’t ever ours to contain, to keep.”
Ixaxaar – Samuel Araya
Krab Jab Studio has a memorable history of vibrant and unconventional exhibitions since its opening in 2010, and The Three Impostors group exhibition promises to be just as noteworthy. With an amalgamation of cultural influences seeping into the exhibition’s artworks, visitors can expect to enjoy a host of new, original artworks created especially for Krab Jab’s new show. All modern day Three Impostors, significantly growing as predominant artists in their own right, have worked to create their pieces using photographs shot by themselves as the base for their diversely personal artworks. Together, The Three Impostors stand tall.
Samuel Araya
Born in Paraguay, Samuel Araya extends beyond his more well-known roots in digital, fine art and inks, by hand-painting in acrylic, watercolours and pencil over photographs to create the blissfully haunting creations for this exhibition. Araya’s work has been published across a variety of media including clothing, video games, posters, records and books. After spending over a decade as a professional illustrator, he decided to alter his focus into fine art, developing his interest of symbolism in painting. Opening up a pathway to a darker dimension of art, Samuel Araya continues to re-invent his creativity, exploring alternative realms including magic, mystery, life and death.
Farewell to all Occult Adventure
Still the Bridge is inflamed with Fire
Vinum Sabbati – Vestigia nulla Retrorsum
Where the Heart Collapses
Bastien LeCouffe Deharme
The historically infused sci-fi and fantasy-based works of Brittany-born Bastien LeCouffe Deharme bring sensual and mythical tones to the exhibition with his trademark style of dark grandeur. A strong visual artist, Deharme has worked for numerous well-known publishers including Spectrum, Random House, SFX Magazine and Orbit Books, and even created his own dark dystopia within his graphic novel “Retrocity”. Emitting strength and grace, Deharme’s works for this exhibition reflect his use of history and mythical occults, and nods to the predominant nature surrounding him in Brittany where he grew up as a child. As ever, the effect is both breathtaking and absolute.
Devil’s Blood
The Arrow – Close Up
The Arrow
Marcela Bolivar
Elsewhere in the realms of Krab Jab Studio, Colombian digital artist Marcela Bolivar unleashes her curiously bizarre artworks, dripping in nature and raw elemental semblance. Drawing on personal experiences and symbolism, she explores the often forgotten powers of the natural world, building up her characters into surreal and reactive landscapes. Bolivar’s work continues to mesmerise, dragging you into the depths of her personal wilderness to overcome – or be swallowed by them whole.
Initiation
Abdita Vestigia
Miss Lally
Antimony (The White Powder)
Gold Tiberius
