With the term dark art continuing to grow as a respected art movement, it’s been uplifting to see artists coming into the limelight with their offbeat and darkly whimsical creations and given the credit they deserve. The term dark art encapsulates many different styles, which is one of the reasons I love it. From topical elements to visual horrors, 21st century painters continue to nurture the dark recesses of our hearts and minds, where the likes of Hieronymus Bosch and Francisco Goya visually sewed the seeds of awe, unease and fascination with the ominous, all those years ago.
Celebrating some of contemporary art’s darkly wonderful artists, Copro Gallery unveils ‘Villains’, opening this Saturday 13th October 2018. The show exhibits ten of American artist Chet Zar’s most recent collection of monsters, which delve further into the (even) darker side of the characters living in Chet’s personal macrocosm. The show brings sculpture and traditional painting together to create truly collectable pieces with Chet creating special frames for each of his pieces in the show. To read more about Chet’s inner workings and his Villains collection, you can read Copro’s exclusive interview with Chet, also on the Beautiful Bizarre website.
Also exhibiting under the Villains umbrella, Dos Diablos, Amandine Urruty, Magpie Rodgers and Shane Pierce share a few delectable pieces in their own mini-solos; together this is the perfect show to get your in the Halloween mood.
Chet Zar’s Villains
Plus mini-shows by Dos Diablos / Amandine Urruty / Magpie Rodgers / Shane Pierce
Copro Gallery
Bergamot Arts Complex, 2525 Michigan Ave T5, Santa Monica, CA.
Opening Night:
Saturday, October 13, 2018, 8:00 – 11:30 p.m. Chet Zar and Dos Diablos will be in attendance.
Exhibition Dates:
October 13 – November 3, 2018
For further information and purchase enquiries, contact Gary Pressman at [email protected] or call 310-829-2156.
“I want to pay tribute to ‘The Villain’ archetype by creating my own painted versions of classic villains.” Explains Chet about the show. “The Mad Doctor, The Evil Clown, Demented Priest, Killer Robot et al. When I was a kid, I liked the villains in movies more than I liked the heroes. They were so much more interesting and colourful and as we all know, every great story has a great villain! I think by examining the great villains of our collective psyche we gain greater insight, by contrast, to our own better nature.”
Chet Zar – The Black Witch
Chet Zar – The Boogeyman
Alongside Chet Zar’s works, French artist Amandine Urruty shares some of her surrealist graphite and charcoal works pieces in her second solo show at Copro, which focuses on dealing with the seven deadly sins. The sheer amount of detail in each of her pieces promises to keep you mesmerised, as exampled in her triptych of works, The Meat Triptych. Quite frankly, children have never been so unnerving.
Amandine Urruty – Wrath (Ira)
Also in Copro Gallery, Mexican artist Dos Diablos exhibits his humorously titled ‘Employee of the Month’ paintings. At first glance these portraitures may make you re-think your perceptions of even the ugliest Employee you personally know, but don’t overlook the alluring beauty also to be found; Dos Diablos’ use of colour give his works a subtly ethereal glow, with the suggestion of the viewer capturing a rare glance at these beings before they glide back into his strange mists.
Dos Diablos – La Furia II
For his Villains mini-solo, self-taught American artist Shane Pierce has created a series of three eerie paintings focusing on a Ghostrider, which depict the raw wilderness of a historical mid-west US drenched in magic and folklore. Meagan “Magpie” Rodgers also invites you to step into another world with her own brand of dark surrealism, which blends the gentle beauty of nature with non-physical concepts including paranormal entities and emotions, often influenced by her bipolar disorder.
‘Villains’ will exhibit at Copro Gallery from Saturday 13th October to Saturday 3rd November, 2018. Contact Gary Pressman, Gallery Director, for more details: phone: 310/829-2156 | e-mail: [email protected].
Shane Pierce – Passengers I
Shane Pierce – Passengers II
Shane Pierce – Passengers III
Meagan “Magpie” Rodgers – Unbound
Meagan “Magpie” Rodgers – Vacancy
Amandine Urruty – Envy (Invidia)
Amandine Urruty – The Meat Triptych
Dos Diablos – Dereliction Of Patience
Dos Diablos – Unborn and Process
Dos Diablos – The Demiurg/Chaos of the Idea
Chet Zar – Priest
Chet Zar – Halloween Robot
Chet Zar – Blood, Rust and Oil
