Now up for grabs on Scott Radke’s website is ‘Funnel’, a one-of-a-kind, wall-mounted sculpture. Crafted from burlap and clay, Funnel measures 14″ x 7″ and is $725. A most excellent interpretation of the Tin Man, no? Drop Scott a line at scott@scottradke.com for availability! More imagery through the click.
Now available via the CP store are a pair of brand-spankin’ new postcard sets from Chris Ryniak and Travis Louie! Each set contains heavy-stock, oversize postcards with rounded corners and are an edition of 200 packs per artist. CMR’s debut set contains 17 cards, while Travis Louie’s third edition contains 16. Grab ’em here for $28 each!
This April marks the one-year anniversary of Monsters & Misfits, a three-person exhibition by Kathie Olivas, Brandt Peters and Chris Ryniak that took place at the Kusakabe Folk Museum in Takayama, Japan. It was an exhibition that birthed some of the most challenging, influential, and beautiful works in the careers of these artists; an exhibition that they were unable to attend; an exhibition that helped raise $16,000 for disaster relief. Monsters & Misfits boosted the morale of the townspeople, helped rebuild a devastated city and reminded everyone of the healing power of art. It was prolific in all aspects.
And this year, we go bigger.
Circus Posterus returns to Japan this April for Monsters & Misfits II, a group show featuring new works from the original three artists, as well as Amanda Louise Spayd and Doktor A. Hosted for a second year by Tomenosuke-Syoten at the Kusakabe Folk Museum, the opening takes place on the eve of the Takayama Spring Festival, April 13th.
We kick things off with a progress shot from Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters. Delight yourselves in discussion! There’s plenty more to come.
In anticipation of their exhibition at Stranger Factory in just under two weeks, artist sisters Miss Mindy and CJ Metzger were gracious enough to share a few words with us about Circus:Folke! Have a read and discover their pasts, artistic passions and the types of works they’re preparing for our oh-so-fortunate eyes. Enjoy!
MISS MINDY
The circus has always been an inspiration to me, maybe because I feel like I belong in one. The gaudy glitz of it all, the silly faces and the animals that I would love to see in my own bizarro traveling show. If I could create a circus that was miniature, and hidden in some crazy little forest, surround by cotton candy eating munchkins and pixies in killer outfits, that would be the bees knees.
I decided to mix all my artistic ‘loves’ in one pot for this one …. Inkwork, sculpture and painting. I’ve created some special little ‘players’ that have their own story to tell and show a taste of the imaginary circus in my head. It’s been in there since I was kid. My sister and I would put on parades, adorn out trikes with flags, and dress up in silly outfits from ‘The crazy dress up drawer.’ I guess you can say I never really grew up, and am happy to share that with you.
CJ METZGER
I was born of circus folk – not from tight rope walkers or sword eaters – but raised in a household buzzing with eclectic, eccentric and creative band of artists, inventors, teachers, and actors that shaped my world. From an early age, all that gorgeous and weird stuff that they generated was just part of my every day visual experience. You grow up in that environment, and you can’t help it – it’s in your blood for good.
In my first show with sister Miss Mindy titled “le monde est une cirque” (the world is a circus), over ten years ago, I began expressing my views about the world through these hybrid girl and animal creatures and characters, and from there, developed a love for using these folk portraits to tell stories and document feelings. Elements of “Circus” have always remained in my work, but for this show in particular, I imagined my perfect circus would be a band of the artists, inventors, and actors – shown as hybrid human animal characters, performing/existing in beautiful, theatrical, and unusual ways – all with unique backstories. Here, I was compelled to create work that both delights and sadden the senses, that evokes a sense of theatricality and that reveals these characters as the unique, beautifully adorned, revered, or misunderstood characters they are.
They are modern folk portraits, telling stories in their tattoos, their costumes, and their sometimes precarious predicaments – perhaps not so different than us all.
Ah, man. Chris Ryniak’s pieces serve as a continual reminder that I will never be immune to cuteness. There’s just no way. Such a woeful pout on this guy, wowee … I wonder if something is seriously troubling him or if it’s the same look your dog gives you when he doesn’t get the last bite of your sandwich. The lowered ears and look of torment are dead on.
Anyway.
‘Baby Blewgle’ is a custom Stitch that Chris prettied up for Dragatomi’s Year of the Dragon exhibition, opening Feb. 11th. Good luck to everyone looking to adopt this little beast. Info on this show is still emerging, so keep checking back! More pics after the break.
Read More »Chris Ryniak’s ‘Baby Blewgle’ for ‘Year of the Dragon’ @ Dragatomi 2.11
Micro Buds have been an active topic on the Collect and Destroy forums for the past six months and FERG hath finally gifted us with this progress shot of the little fella, due out very soon.
(And I mean little. Like 1.5″ little.)
The project is in collab with Skin Deep sculpt master Scott Wilkowski. FERG promises a ‘shitload of them in diff color schemes’ that will be handmade, hand painted, simple and sexy, as per usual FERG aesthetic. Yum.
Last month Doktor A confused the heck out of all of us with a rather strange teaser of his piece for Chet Zar’s Conjoined II at Copro Nason. Well suspicions be damned for he has just released a full reveal of he who is named Oscar Lynchworthy!
A briefing:
Constructed without limbs Oscar was a surly child.
He riled against the world feeling sidelined in his inability to do just about anything.
His parents offered to purchase appendages for him, but he adamantly remained in his self imposed funk.
His bitterness grew and festered for many years until one day he had an awakening.
A calling, a purpose, a vocation beckoned.
He would become a critic!
Oscar stands 16″ tall and is constructed from styrene, epoxy resin, vinyl, lead, glass, steel and rubber, with a vintage clockwork key fixed into his back. The splintered woodgrain finish is incredible — more beauty shots below!
Conjoined: II opens Jan. 21st and runs through Feb. 11th, 2012.
Calling all carnies: the next gig to roll into town is Circus: Folke, a two-person exhibition by California-based ‘artist sisters’ Miss Mindy and CJ Metzger. An exploration of the Circus, its characters and all associated nostalgia, Circus: Folke will undoubtedly offer us a peek into a most spectacular tent.
Both artists hail from Los Angeles. Mindy an inker, painter, illustrator and sculptor, her growing list of clients includes Warner Brothers, Hard Rock Café, Mindstyle and Nickelodeon Animation. Metzger’s iconic painting, illustration, design and writing has been sought out by such brands as Neiman Marcus, Hot Topic, Fred Eric, Baby Tattoo Books, and the LA Times. Uniting their passion for characters and storytelling with their unique design sensibilities, the sisters create an uber-artistry that leaves a lasting impression.
Circus: Folke opens Feb. 3rd with a reception from 6pm to 9pm.
Read More »Stranger Factory Presents: ‘Circus: Folke’ by Miss Mindy and CJ Metzger 2.3
Well that was a hell of an entrance, wasn’t it? Following last year’s award-winning Trouble Boys collaboration, FERG and Brandt Peters reunite for TRIGGER, a two person exhibition at Stranger Factory, which mercilessly melted fans’ faces on both sides of the spectrum.
And CP’s servers suffered a similar fate: as soon as the taskbar clocks flipped to 12pm, the Circus Posterus and Stranger Factory websites were hit with such an unprecedented surge of traffic that it put them out of commission for nearly three hours (in which time the show nearly sells out). Pages weren’t loading, emails were bouncing back, fans were collectively panicking and eating their hair. A netplosion befitting of artists of this caliber, which was only amplified by their collaborative tact. Just look at the pictures.
Cool exhibitions aside, another reason I’m loving Stranger Factory is because it allows Kathie and Brandt an opportunity to use their exhibitions as a means to reveal/release new editions. KO’s Sweet & Sorrow saw the release of the Purple Greeter, and now a whole whack of new editions have debuted at TRIGGER: FERG’s Playge Doctor Skelve, the Overcast Kuma, 4-Legged Masao, and Fire-Eyes Mega Skelve (yes! An editioned Mega Skelve!), as well as the release of the Indigo Fade Skelve and reveal of Brandt’s next Trouble Boy: No. 7 Drifter for Tomenosuke. When an exhibition offers 2- and 3-dimensional works, individual and collaborative customs, limited editions, and sneak peeks from established artists at affordable prices, you cannot go wrong. But be prepared to fight crowds large enough to crack the websphere ;)
Enjoy the full gallery of photos here. More info on the new editions is forthcoming!
Before the close of 2011, Scott Radke shared a progress shot of a trio of slugs that were due for release in the new year.
… Happy new year ;)
An edition of just three pieces, each Slug is unique and measures 11″ x 11″. Shoot Scott an email at scott@scottradke.com if you’re lookin’ to add a little slime in your life. As I write this, there are only two left!
