opening

NOW SHOWING: Allison Bamcat, Stephani Inagaki, and Mario Romero

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Stranger Factory…has moved. Unfortunately we were unable to work out new terms at the end of our lease and are currently getting settled in our new location in Algodones, NM (We are directly between Albuquerque and Santa Fe). We are not currently open for scheduled hours, but will begin private appointments and curbside pick-up in the next week or so.

 

 

 We are very excited for our three newest exhibitions that are now online:

Allison Bamcat

Eat The Elephant

“Eat the Elephant is a body of work by surrealist painter Allison Bamcat taking the presence of personal demons and having the courage to fight them. Through the use of vivid, nostalgic colorscapes that harkens back to childhood toys of the 90s, she depicts a selection of mythical creatures from the Encyclopedia of Demonology, each monster a symbol of heavy topics including anorexia, childhood trauma, nightmares, and cult religion. Bamcat is vocal in her support of mental wellness through therapy and self-reflection, and she hopes the viewer can look into what these monsters may symbolize in their own journeys, keeping in mind the secret to healing is gradual and never-ending: “To eat the elephant, one bite at a time.”

Allison Bamcat is a color-obsessed painter living in Los Angeles. Through her use of texture, expression, and vivid color, she seeks to invoke feelings of nostalgia, magic, intensity, and gravity. The creatures, props and plants in her paintings serve as avatars for her personal journey. Bamcat works in Acryla gouache with a secondary concentration in large-scale murals and budding love for ceramics.

Stephanie Inagaki

Samsara and the Birth of the Wild Woman

 

“The last couple years have been a period of deep introspection, colored by grief and learning self-love through creating healthy boundaries. And while the whole world is in a chaotic, unknowing state, much self-examination is happening on a collective level. Within that, my contemplation has evolved into learning self respect. My life has had poignant moments of death, both physical and metaphorical, but through each of these experiences I’ve found new life, happiness, and growth.”

 

Stephanie Inagaki is a Los Angeles based artist whose work explores her personalized interpretations of Japanese mythology and folklore, corvids, familiars, the life/death/life cycle (Samsara), and a joyful splash of humor.

 

Mario Romero

Pull Me Under

“Every memory and dream we have is ultimately obscured. We can recall specific details of a dream and yet we tend to forget the reason behind it all. What was that dream about? What did that dream mean? Dreams, much like vast oceans, pull us deep into depths of the unknown. Sinking into the unknown, we forget time, place, feelings, and thoughts we once had. Captured by watercolor, parts of these fleeting dreams are found. Sometimes, all we have is that one detail, that one feeling to hold onto. This idea of holding onto something that can’t truly be detained is what inspires these deep ocean paintings.”

 

Mario Romero is an emerging New Mexico based artist that primarily uses watercolor to capture his surreal portraits and floating still lifes.

View all work online now at http://www.circusposterus.com/product-category/current-exhibition/

November at Stranger Factory: “Siren: 1990” by Phil Noto and Brandt Peters/ “Carry Me” from Sad Salesman

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SIREN: 1999 – A two-person show with Phil Noto and Brandt Peters / CARRY ME – A feature show of new works by Sad Salesman will run from
November 1st – December 1st, 2019

Opening Reception with the artists: Friday, November 1st from 6-8 PM

Siren: 1999 is an exhibition of new works by contemporary narrative artists, Brandt Peters and Phil Noto. Both artists explore strong female characters inspired by science fiction, music, mysteries, and rebellion set through an alternate universe in 1999.

Brandt Peters emerged from the entertainment industry into an internationally recognized and accomplished fine artist, designer, and producer. Often known for his award winning toy designs, Peters is also a mixed media painter and story-teller who centers his work on character design and visual development. His work hearkens back to the earliest days of comics and animation, with a seeming simplicity that hides layers of intricate back story rooted in humor and a strong, empowering narrative voice. He is one of original founders of Circus Posterus and Stranger Factory gallery and works as an Art Director for Meow Wolf in Santa Fe.

Phil Noto is an Eisner nominated American painter, comic book/ concept artist who is known for his work on such titles as Black Widow, Jonah Hex, Uncanny X-Force,and most recently Star Wars (Chewbacca and Shattered Empire). After a 10 year career at Disney Feature Animation, he started to work full-time as an artist for Marvel, DC, Image Comics and Dark Horse, and as well, time in gaming working on such blockbuster hits such as Bioshock. Phil Noto has been a prominent featured artist at Stranger Factory since its opening in 2011.

Carry Me is a show about love. As a parent of two (and soon to be three), Eric Althin, AKA Sad Salesman, has heard the phrase “Carry me!” more than his aging back would like. He has come to understand that it is not just about the literal act of carrying someone, it’s about what we do for those we love and the support we get in return. Everyone needs to be carried at some point in their life and this show helps us celebrate the act.

Sad Salesman, is a Brooklyn based artist and character designer. Eric has been customizing vinyl toys since 2004, and launched his own toy brand ‘Sad Salesman’ in 2017. Prior, he was the co-founder and curator at Bold Hype Gallery. He has also created numerous characters for mobile games and showcases his original sculptures in various exhibitions across the US. In 2018 Eric won the Designer Toy Award for breakthrough artist of the year.

***ALL STRANGER FACTORY EXHIBITIONS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

This July at Stranger Factory: Kathie Olivas, Kristina Drake, and Sandi Ray Pierce

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This JULY at Stranger Factory
“ELIXIR” 
Kathie Olivas

“CONSUMED” 
Kristina Drake

“MADE IN THE SHADE” 
Sandi Ray Pierce 

July 5th – July 28th, 2019

Opening Reception: Friday, July 5th from 6-8 PM


Stranger Factory is proud to present ELIXIR, a solo show by artist, Kathie Olivas!

“Elixir” features a series of mixed media paintings and art toys that explore the sensation of propaganda and “snake oil” in a post truth world. Snake handlers, faith healers, and self- serving magical “cure-all” peddlers exploit their toxic, child-like sweetness through their seemingly innocent blank stares and buyer beware expressions. They want to sell you their too good to be true elixirs that will purify your demons and cure all of your ills.

Kathie Olivas is an internationally exhibited multi-media artist from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her work explores society’s insatiable desire to assign “cuteness” as a measure for innocence and acceptance; to sooth our innability to accept our discomfort with the unknown. A dark blend of early American portraiture set in post apocalyptic times, Kathie’s mixed media paintings and hand made “toys” are a satirical look at how fear affects our sense of reality. Her characters are meant to evoke a nostalgic reaction that reflects isolation, fear, and an uncertainty, yet they also act as empowered alter egos. Her abstracted cartoon style, reminiscent of vintage story book illustrations and iconic advertising mascots, is meant to disarm our fear of the “other.” While these characters explore their new lonely worlds, they double as our narrators. They guide us through their reality as they experience it and yet, even in their company, we are granted no reassurance.

Kathie Olivas received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida in 1999. She began exhibiting her work in the mid 90s and is often associated with the Lowbrow/ Pop Surrealist movement and Sentimentalism.

Stranger Factory is happy to present Kristina Drake in her first feature show at our gallery, CONSUMED.

Kristina Drake strives to convey her appreciation for nature through her sculptures. Believing that nature is the closest reflection we have to ourselves, Drake uses delicate themes to convey the passage of time, our own fragility, and temporary essence. Her efforts create beautiful works that drive attention to environmental conservation and help one feel connected to the world around us.

Stranger Factory is happy to present Sandi Ray Pierce in her second feature show, MADE IN THE SHADE.

Join us in the shade for local artist Sandi Ray Pierce’s second feature show at Stranger Factory. Exhibiting a collection of new works mixing her signature style with a new twist, the southwest-loving artist takes us on a visual journey inspired by vintage signs and New Mexican sunsets. Here you can find typographic visuals and skull shaped wood cuts of varying colorways that is sure to make you nostalgic for summers past!

See you there
Opening Reception: Friday, July 5th from 6-8 PM

April at Stranger Factory: ALL OF EVERYTHING ERASED / Joe Scarano and THE HOUSE AND THE DEVIL / JohnPaul Gutierrez

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This APRIL at STRANGER FACTORY
ALL OF EVERYTHING ERASED / Joe Scarano and THE HOUSE AND THE DEVIL / JohnPaul Gutierrez 
April 5th – April 28th, 2019
Opening Reception: Friday, April 5th from 6-8 PM

Take a break at Stranger Factory and explore All of Everything Erased, a show inspirited through the idea of pausing. Pausing long enough for the grass and the weeds to swallow you up for a while.

Fascinated by the idea of abandoned buildings giving in to nature, Joe Scarano’s characters are brought to life as they fall into varying states of disrepair. As they let the grass grow over them and get swallowed back up by the landscape, the viewer has the pleasure of witnessing and imagining that the will eventually wake up again after the earth has grown around and start over.

Scarano was guided to create this show after recalling memories in an old neighborhood in which his children would seek to explore an abandoned house with him. The title of the show, All of Everything Erased comes from a Kevin Devine song of the same name. Influenced by the paintings, Scarano could not get the song out of his mind and Kevin was kind enough to let him borrow the song title for the show.

Stranger Factory is happy to present JohnPaul Gutierrez in his show, The House and The Devil.

The House and the Devil portrays the many negative voices that we create within ourselves. The Devil is represented not in a religious or spiritual context but simply as the adversary telling lies and creating fear. These voices that we house inside, waking us up in the middle of the night or creating a paralyzing fear, prevent us from achieving our truest self. The House, being a little worn down and weathered seeks to maintain the onslaught, and pushes on in hopes of achieving their dreams.

Gutierrez is an Albuquerque local and returning artist to Stranger Factory.

 

New Best Friends this July at Stranger Factory Gallery

Stranger Factory Gallery
presents
New Best Friends
Group exhibition of new work in Main Gallery
July 6th – July 29th, 2018
Opening reception, June 1, 6-9 pm

Stranger Factory is proud to present NEW BEST FRIENDS, a group show curated by our very own local artist, Karl Deuble!

Karl is a screen printer and musician living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico in 2006. He grew up in Belen, NM before moving to Albuquerque to pursue his Fine Arts degree. Inspired by street art, cartoons, music, and cats, Karl uses screen printing, spray paint, acrylic and ink to create his style of characters.

As his first curated show at Stranger Factory, NEW BEST FRIENDS brings new and returning artists who inspire Karl and his vision. This show brings a fun flavor to Stranger Factory as it invokes bright colors and imagery inspired by 80’s cartoons, music and street art. Join us as we tour fun graphics and playful illustrations!
Over ten artists inlcude: Karl Dueble, Patt Kelley, Elena Cabitza, Santos Shelton, Bruce Parker, Thom Glick, Helen Li, Christa Dippel, J.W. Butts, Madelen Foss, and Chuck Chair.

J*RYU’s “The Ghost of You Haunted Me” @ Rotofugi, 9.7

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J*RYU just landed in Chicago and is getting set for “The Ghost of You Haunted Me” at Rotofugi. He just sent over a ton of pics, and now you can see all these amazing pieces to keep you salivating for two more days. Also, he will be releasing his Fall Edition Sapling that is an open edition with ten being at the show, $80 and pictured below. The show opens this Friday, Sept. 7th and J*RYU will be there. Now let these pictures do all the talking!

Rotofugi
2780 N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614

Click more for many, many more.

Read More »J*RYU’s “The Ghost of You Haunted Me” @ Rotofugi, 9.7