Prepare for three incredible exhibitions at Copro Gallery, each magnifying the mystery and broad experiences of life in four boldly unique styles. Mark Garro, Peca, Vanessa Lemen and Toobz Muir all unveil original works – this promises to be a journey through the mind and souls of four highly influential artists.
Mark Garro ‘Meltown In Sea Major’, Peca ‘Happy Anomalies’ – Vanessa Lemen & Toobz Muir ‘Waking Willow’
Copro Gallery
Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave, #T5, Santa Monica, CA 90404, United States
Phone: 310 829 2156
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 4 , 2023 | 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Exhibition Dates: November 4 – November 25, 2023
For more information, email Copro Gallery Director, Gary Pressman at coprogallery@live.com or call 310-829-2156.
Mark Garro ‘Meltown in Sea Major’
In his 8th solo show at Copro Gallery, Mark Garro’s work presents a visual map of the human condition and portrays apocalyptic vignettes sprinkled with a dash of hope. Garro’s unique style can be described as Technical Fusion combining Hyper-Realism and Trompe-l’oeil. Opposing themes are depicted through his signature motif of “Above and Below” featuring water, women, and his recurring characters with a nod to his dedication to music and his saxophones.
A woolly Rhino and a smashed tenor saxophone. These completely incongruous subjects are the initial inspiration for ‘Meltdown in Sea Major’. With The Receding ice caps and the diminishing Russian ice, my interest was sparked with the discovery of a Woolly Rhino carcass in Siberia. What the heck else is out there to be revealed as the ice wanes?
I invite the viewer to ponder the issue amidst intoxicating technique and imagery. While finding Giant saxophones and Mermaid King skeletons is unlikely, I like to think that anything is possible….
MArk GArro, artist statement
Peca ‘Happy Anomalies’
Born in Argentina, Peca graduated with a degree in Visual Arts at the University of Fine Arts of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is now based in Barcelona where she enjoys being a painter, illustrator and stop motion movie maker. Her latest series at Copro Gallery is a journey leading to Happy Anomalies.
Art is my best way to connect myself with the universe. It is my moment of introspection, the way of not losing my head; it is meditation, decoding of cosmic signals. Materializing the unconscious is my path to consciousness. All of us have the power of transformation, we are creators of worlds.
I love to paint animals awake, connected with the universal movement; usually they are beings that ignore our rules and have the mission to challenge the viewer to see beyond the limits of our understanding; they push us into the unknown, trying to break the foundations of our belief system putting our world upside down.
PECA
Vanessa Lemen & Toobz Muir ‘Waking Willow’
‘Waking Willow’ is a world created by artists Vanessa Lemen and Toobz Muir, a connection unfolding into a safe space to share dialogues of imagery in the form of drawings, paintings, and collaborations.
As we allow the subconscious to unravel and reveal the mysteries of what we find in the unknowns, we wander with wonder in healing through the canopies of our lives. Working through the layers that veil and develop personal stories connected by experiences that offer an awakening from the darkest of places into golden moments leading us further into learning a deeper sense of who we are.
Vanessa Lemen and Toobz Muir
Vanessa Lemen is a painter based in Southern California with works exhibited and in private collections internationally. Her paintings are layered in subtle allegory, with an explorative process that intertwines realism and abstract to depict humanity, metaphor, and story. Her work has been published in the Illustrated Limited Edition books “The Left Hand Of Darkness” and “A Scanner Darkly”, as well as Spectrum, Infected By Art, ImagineFX and others. Vanessa also writes monthly columns for Muddy Colors, and is an educator who mentors privately, teaches classes online, and instructs at workshops across the US, with her work earning The Chesley Award and other awards in Infected By Art, a Spectrum Award nomination, and Art Renewal Center’s ARC Salon.
Artist Toobz Muir is known best for his murals, surreal paintings and detailed graphite drawings. His colourful work references his early fascination with graffiti and street art as well as his challenges from being colour blind. Primarily using spray paint, Muir freehand renders his work directly onto surfaces creating fantastical imagery that in his words is “both edgy and playful while also emerging from a personal place.” His subject matter ranges from allegorical to darkly satirical themes while distorting his figures’ features to evoke extreme emotional states.
About the Gallery //
The gallery, located at Bergamot Arts, is divided into two exhibition spaces, sometimes featuring a single artist but often two or three. Large group exhibitions are also featured often in conjunction with outside curators. In following with its original mission, Copro Gallery participates in International Art Fairs and curates outside exhibits to help promote their artists.
Focusing on museum quality installations showcasing emerging artists, Copro Gallery also exhibits many established and master painters. Placing works in private collections throughout the world, Copro strives to assist collectors new and experienced in building the most exciting collections possible.
