Chet Zar

May Shows at Stranger Factory – Doktor A, Chet Zar and Doubleparlour

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May 2013 brings two new exhibits to the Stranger Factory gallery; a dual show by noted character creators Chet Zar and Doktor A, and a special Project Room exhibit by Doubleparlour. 

MayOddfellows

Oddfellows is a collection of new character work by UK artist and steampunk aficionado Doktor A, and dark art monster-maker Chet Zar. Oddfellows is an expression of how despite their vastly differing styles, both Chet Zar and Dok A are essentially doing the same thing – using inhuman forms to illustrate the human condition. In spite of their gas-mask faces or giant mechanical moustaches, each artists creations are, at heart, just regular joes with lives, wants, dreams of their own. By using non-human characters, each artist is able to force the viewer to focus less on the superficiality of human form and bias and more on the details of each character’s existence.

As Doktor A says, “Even though our respective creations believe themselves to be quite ordinary they are of course quite extraordinary…as are we all.”

MayPinkEye

The Stranger Factory Project Room will be showing Doubleparlour’s newest exhibit of hand-crafted resin figures, Pink Eye. This exhibit features Doubleparlour’s trademark monsters, mutations, and animal hybrid characters experiencing the full range of familiar human emotion.

From pain to pleasure, and joy to dismay; by exploring human emotion through familiar but inhuman forms, Doubleparlour give us the opportunity to see what we might just look like on the inside.

Chet Zar is a renowned monster-maker and character artist whose work has been seen in “The Ring”, “Hellboy I & II”, “Planet of the Apes” and critically acclaimed music videos for the art metal band Tool.

Doktor A is one of the most well-known steampunk character artists in the world, and his work has set the industry standard for mechanical gentlemen. His characters have been produced by multiple companies including Arts Unknown, DYZ Plastic, and Kidrobot.

Doubleparlour is Ernie and Cassandra Velasco, a husband and wife artistic collaboration living in San Francisco, CA.

(Press Release by Steve Brown – contact Steve at unklesteve@gmail.com for more information and high resolution images)

Add a Skull Wall to your Wall

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What do we have here lingering around the Stranger Factory? It looks like a Skull Wall by Chet Zar. This original framed  8.5″ x 10.5″ painting is oil on gesso board by Chet. This perfectly represents his style and fits into any skull collection. Why not have a Skull Wall on your wall? It is currently available here. If you hurry up and grab it, I am sure it can be there for your Halloween party!

Help Fund a Documentary on Chet Zar

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A kickstarter campaign by Mike Correll is very close to being fulfilled to make a documentary on artist Chet Zar. “I like to paint monsters“, will dive into the work, thought processes, development, and understanding of the man known as Chet Zar. Oct. 12, is the cutoff date for funding, and this project is ever so close to being finished. Click the link here to watch a video for better insight into what this fabulous kickstarter will bring. We love documentaries, and not since Heather Donahue got lost in the woods with her’s, have we been more stoked for one. This funding has to happen, and who knows, you might even see a familiar Albuquerque gallery in the film.

Recap: Chet Zar’s ‘Le Petite Mort’, Charlie Immer’s ‘Scuffle’ & Stephan Webb’s ‘Sinister Dexterity’

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Stranger Factory celebrated First Friday with three solo exhibitions featuring new works from Chet Zar, Charlie Immer and local artist Stephan Webb. Thanks to all who stopped in — there’s a whole spread of opening night photos below!

Le Petite Mort, Scuffle and Sinister Dexterity are on view until July 2nd. Inquiries can be made via email at strangerfactorysales @ gmail.com starting Mon., June 4th at noon PST. Shop the pieces here!

Doktor A’s ‘Oscar Lynchworthy’ for Conjoined: II

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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.

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