SELECTED PAST GALLERY EVENTS

The Artwork of John Baizley

November 6th through 30th 2009

As the singer/guitarist for the infamous rock band Baroness, John Baizley has toured the world over. Baroness has also released several critically acclaimed albums on the iconic Relapse label, home to Mastodon, Dillinger Escape Plan, Neurosis and countless others. As an artist, John has created the cover art for all the Baroness releases, as well as many other classic albums including "Flight Of The Conchords," Pig Destroyer's "Phantom Limb" and "In Return" by Torche. John's lush artwork shows the influence of two major artists - Pushead, through his morbid subject matter and fine-line penwork, and Alphonse Mucha, with the graceful manner in which his subjects are posed and the Art Deco scenes in which they are set. The few available prints John has made, most culled from album art, or specially made tour-only posters have been hopelessly sold out resulting in a fanatic fanbase competing for the precious available works on sites like Expressobeans.com and Gigposters.com - putting John in the same rabid collector conversation as Shepard Fairey, Emek, Aaron Horkey and others.

November 2009 at the Metropolis Gallery will John's landmark debut show, and will for the first time contain original works. His solo show will be a collection of past works, original working sketches, prints and more. To be added to the preview list for this show, please contact Metropolis.

Daughters of the Blue Sky: New Works by Dan-an Kim

October 2nd-31st 2009

A young, gifted graphic designer out of Brooklyn, Dan-Ah Kim has recently shown at Thinkspace, DvA Gallery, both Giant Robot SF and NY, as well as with a special Scion event. Her photography recently appeared in Giant Robot Magazine, though Kim is best known for her mixed media fine art. Showing a love for the DIY crafts scene, Kim's work often includes hand stitching, collage and other "homemade" elements. Much of her subject matter tends towards whimsical depictions of flight - kites, birds, arrows being shot - as well as storybook images of bustling downtowns and serene forests. While having a modern feel akin to peers such as Amy Sol and Brandi Milne, Kim's fine art shows a strong passion for classic children's books, bringing to mind the "Noddy" series by Enid Blyton, or the "The Adventures Of Tintin" series by Herge.

CURATED BY DAVID CHOE: New Works by ROB SATO & JOSEPH TO September 6th - 30th 2009

Close friends, former art school classmates and roomates Rob Sato and Joseph To meet up with old pal David Choe to show off a collection of groundbreaking new works. The three artists share a morbid sense of humor, a love of comic books, and an incredibly delicate level of detail.

Please see the September 2009 issue of Juxtapoz for a 12-page article on the show, including an interview by David Choe.

Mike Egan -August 7th - 31st 2009

Following up on a sellout debut show at Metropolis, Mike Egan returns with another collection of Fine Art. One of the few if any current artists bringing a Modern bend to Folk Art, Egan's works shows his lifelong interest in death mythology - primarily Mexican Day of The Dead. Showing the influence of his time as a mortician, Egan's paintings bring a new vision to the centuries old images seen in orthodox churches and religious stained glass windows.

Ben Kehoe -August 7th - 31st 2009

Pittsburgh native Ben Kehoe grew up with best friend Mike Egan as well as brother Andy Kehoe, a famed artist in his own right. Ben's comical folk-influenced art shows a love of US Civil War history, Medieval Art and Feudalism, as well as a passion for the Autumn months. His rich tonal browns and attention to the detail of natural elements shows a detail seen more often in the fine-line work of indie comics than fine art.

Aya Kakeda - July 3rd-30th 2009

Following up on her beloved Dunny for Kidrobot as well as a Showstoppers piece in Juxtapoz, Aya presents her third appearance at Metropolis, eschewing her popular silkscreens for a rare all-new collection of original paintings. Embracing a love of children's illustration and a deft knowledge of the fables from her native Japan, Aya's work tells a story of mysterious mutated creatures and clever little kids. Aya has shown worldwide, including a major installation in Hungary, as well as group shows with Camille Rose Garcia and Souther Salazar.

Miha Tanaka - July 3rd-30th 2009

Longtime friend and collaborator with Aya Kakeda, Miha is a Brooklyn based fine artist and graphic designer. Her original work has appeared in galleries throughout the US and Europe, and has been featured in major group shows alongside Shepard Fairey, Jeremy Fish, Kidrobot designer Tristan Eaton, and Ron English. Miha shares an affinity with Aya for childlike depictions of creatures and fantasy nature scenes, though her work has a bright pastel color palette all its own. In addition, her ceramic work has a bizarre yet precious quality, a delicate menagerie of imaginary monsters.

"Nocturnal Daydreams" by Oliver Hibert - June 2009

The work of Arizona fine artist Oliver Hibert embraces 60's Mod and Psychedelic culture, showing a heavy dose of Peter Max and the underground comix of R. Crumb and Rick Griffin. There's a much more painterly and adult theme to much of his work, however, a tone which was well documented in his massive spread in Beautiful Decay Magazine. His Op-Art 2D works were recently given their due at the London Design Museum in 2007, after winning a major design award in the UK. This was quickly followed by yet another widely successful UK showing, this time embracing his oversized day-glo installation work. In the US, Oliver has also been shown at the undeniably hip and essential Grass Hut in Portland, along with Tim Biskup, Gary Baseman and Jeff Soto.

Lesley Reppeteaux - May 2009

Born in Nova Scotia, but an eventual resident of a half-dozen US cities, Lesley's brand of Pop Surrealism has been shown at Copro Nason, Thinkspace, M Modern, La Luz De Jesus, Gallery 1988, DVA Gallery and more. Though she and Amanda both attended the same art school and have shown at the same galleries, this 2-person show will mark their first meeting. Lesley's painted fables show a love of classic Disney animation, as well as contemporary artist Camille Rose Garcia.

Amanda Marie - May 2009

Amanda's vintage sewing patterns and children's book characters are vivid and graphic, bringing the audience a nostalgic warmth, drawing them into the hidden metaphors and relationships while hybridizing spray paint stencil graffiti and neo neo expressionism with acrylic paint. After college, Amanda has been represented by Andenken Gallery where she shows her paintings several times a year, including Andenken's portable gallery at the Democratic National Convention in which she appeared alongside Shepard Fairey, The Date Farmers and David Choe. Amanda's work, along with Swoon, is one of the few strong female presences on the stencil art/street art scene.

"Moist. Mammal. Doom." by Horsebites - April 2009

Much like his longtime friend Steak Mountain, Horsebites has had a long history with punk music, culminating in a massive portfolio of graphic design work for bands like Strike Anywhere, New Mexican Disaster Squad and Against All Authority. The most exciting thing about Horsebites' fine art is the influence it owes to classic 80's skate culture; Vision Skate Wear, Pushead's Zorlac decks, and Transworld Magazine.

"Moist. Mammal. Doom." by Steak Mtn. - April 2009

Cutting his teeth in the landmark grindcore bands Reversal Of Man and Combat Wounded Veteran, Steak Mountain has always had a deep connection in his fine artwork to punk rock. There's his unmistakably gritty graphic design for MTV, Vice Magazine, and Warner Brothers, his album art for bands like Against Me! and Less Than Jake, as well as his own groups, and of course his brutal fine art. The most recent work by Steak Mountain has shown a deep Raymond Pettibon influence, sharing Pettibon's ransom note text and penwork, though the wash of bright colors and the dark humor inherent is all of his own doing.

Nik Scarlett - February/March 2009

Armed with a BFA in Illustration from Moore College of Art and Design, Nik is an illustrator, graphic artist and all around bad ass. With a penchant for drawing various skulls, tough dudes and big haired ladies (with even bigger chests), her work is a reflection of the rockabilly and Kustom Kuture lifestyle. Some of Nik's clients include The Reverend Horton Heat, Hank III, The Nekromantix, Ol' Skool Rods and Weird NJ.

Joe Bruce - February/March 2009

A member of Pittsburgh's infamous Destroy/Destroyer art gang along with Mike Egan, Joe is both a highly regarded tattoo artist as well as an accomplished fine artist. His work shows a heavy influence of traditional tattoo flash art, as well as an affinity for the Lowbrow Art movement. While Joe's original work showcases the vocabulary of traditional tattoo iconography, his work deftly breathes new life into images that are more than a century old.

"Unguarded Moments" by Theresa Kereakes - December 2008

Culled from an unparalleled youth coming of age in the then-burgeoning LA punk scene, Kereakes was the close friend and personal photographer to a vital scene which would grow to become one of the most important in American music history. Starting with The Germs' first practice, to The Go-Gos, The Cramps, Blondie, The Dead Boys, Iggy Pop, and on, Theresa's rock photography graced the pages of Creem, Rolling Stone, Rock Scene, and more. As Theresa herself put it, "I was there. See?"

"The Sons Of Nero" by Sons Of Nero - November 2008

Design group Sons Of Nero have defined the look of hardcore and metal album art over the past ten years. Their work for such bands as Senses Fail, Unearth, 36 Crazyfists, Bring Me The Horizon and countless others have set the benchmark for how the look of this music is interpreted. With their first ever gallery show, The Sons Of Nero chose several of their favorite projects and reimagined them for a gallery setting, re-displaying their commercial work as high-end fine art.

"Feast" by PaperMonster - October 2008

Upon discovering the Street Art scene, PaperMonster left a career in Biomedical Science to study and eventually create the street art he was so passionate about. Studying under the famed Blek Le Rat while visiting France, PaperMonster honed his skills, creating more and more delicate stencils, and learning more about international graffiti history. PaperMonster has shown at the legendary Stolen Space Gallery in London, the Melbourne Stencil Festival, as well as tons of galleries here in the US. His work shows the influence of street art pioneers Shepard Fairey, Banksy and Faile, but with the pastel color palette of 80's Pop Artist Patrick Nagel.

"Cannibal Hearts" by Jennifer Tong - September 2008

From Brooklyn by way of San Francisco, Tong is one of the nation's foremost indie comics artists. Appearing in the landmark series "Beasts!" as well as showing in galleries across the US, Jennifer has just begun to truly emerge. Her work recalls the underground comic graphic detail of Chester Brown, as well as influences from Henry Darger and Rien Poortvliet. Majoring in cartooning, Tong received her BFA from The School of Visual Arts.

"Praying At The Funeral" by Mike Egan - July 2008

A former mortician, Mike Egan combines modern Pop techniques with religious themes and folk art, most notably Mexican Day Of The Dead as well as Greek Orthodox iconography. As Juxtapoz claimed, "there have got to be some mordant influences fermenting in his mind."

"New Works" by Aya Kakeda - May 2008

From Brooklyn by way of Tokyo, Aya Kakeda has garnered international fame for her bizarre fairy tales. As seen in Bust Magazine, The New Yorker, Nickelodeon, and more, Aya's work tells a story, much like The Brothers Grimm, of creepy morbid fables.

"Kaleidoscope!" by Alexei Vella - April 2008

Toronto Canada artist/illustrator Vella recycles lost pre-WWII imagery and reimagines it through a wash of insanely bright colors. By taking lost icons of past commercial design and filtering it through a very modern sensibility, Vella breathes new life into the ephemrea of the past.

Nancie Yang - February 2008

Local discovery Nancie Yang continues to impress with her first ever solo show. Imagine Maurice Sendak's "Where The Wild Things Are" for an R-rated audience, whimsical etherial fables for grown-up kids.

Jonathon Kimbrell - January 2008

Dallas native and Pop Art wunderkind returns to Metropolis with "Factory Trash," his new show which both tributes and revisits the cast and characters of Warhol's Factory scene.

John Grider - August 2007

Famed Minneapolis street artist John Grider has been ganing notoriety for his large-scale murals, both in traditional galleries and on the sides of buildings. Somewhere between Bansky and Diego Rivera, John uses street art techniques to convey larger-than-life messages.