Stranger Factory

Amy Earles: Artist & Expert Daydreamer

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Another look into one of our amazing September artists at Stranger Factory, Amy Earles with her show “Through the Eye”!

From her own bio:
Out of natural instinct and some necessity, I’m a very private person in most ways. Communicating through art is something I’ve been doing since early childhood. Feeling out of sync with others led me to create other worlds for my mind to occupy and some of this is manifested through visual art. It’s not all just a projection of myself, but it’s also a world view filtered through a particular lens. One that is sometimes clouded by experiences and always a little askew.

This US-based artist known for paintings and illustrations with foreboding but fanciful flair, as well as her popular articulated paper dolls which pay homage to vintage playthings. Her unsettling gouache and pencil girls portray a mysterious and captivating emanation.

Through the Eye, will also be on display throughout September and Earles will be exploring the hidden layers of the self and the subconscious, aspects of the dreaming mind, and what it might mean to become another self, or many selves, when no one is looking. We are expecting to see a mix of original works including oil paintings, gouache paintings, intricate pencil drawings, as well as some archival prints of some of her most recent work, and of course, some of her paper dolls.

Have a look at the wonderment of Amy Earles!



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And now a preview from Through the Eye!
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amy Instagram

The opening reception for Amy Earles’ “Through the Eye” along with Craig LARotonda and Kevin Titzer is Friday, September 4th from 6 – 9 pm at Stranger Factory.

Stranger Factory
3411 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049

 

Getting to know more about Craig La Rotonda

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Since we have three amazing artists gracing the gallery this September at Stranger Factory, we thought we would introduce them one by one.

He may have a pedigree of clients that will make your eyes bug out, but his work makes us drool and that is why we are excited for Craig LaRotonda’s “A Consortium of Lost Souls“. His work in 2D and 3D is a rampantly exhilarating foray into the distressed and distorted oddity world we do love. This world of sculpts containing creepy human-derived flotsam and jetsam and paintings of the uncommon mold make our cracked hearts go pitter patter.

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Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Craig LaRotonda received his BFA in 1992at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he studied with the internationally renowned illustrator Alan Cober. Currently working as a professional painter, illustrator, and sculptor, Craig divides his time between each endeavor.

LaRotonda’s richly layered paintings are provocative; his signature iconic
style is reminiscent of Renaissance and Byzantine art while remaining boldly contemporary. His work possesses a dark narrative and grotesque elegance.
These distorted creatures are captured in a timeless space — surviving the brutality and beauty of existence. Craig’s ability to make deformities and oddities become aesthetically magnificent is what makes his art so unique.

His paintings and sculptures incorporate mixed media and aging techniques, ultimately creating surreal figurative works. LaRotonda’s artwork graces the walls of famous homes including collectors in France, Germany, Norway, Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

Through his relationship with Film Art LA, his acclaimed art appears
prominently in television and five feature-length motion pictures – including
the Academy Award winning film “Traffic” directed by Steven Soderbergh,
and “The Other Guys” with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.

LaRotonda’s striking and unique art has been featured in Time Magazine,
The Washington Post, The Village Voice, Juxtapoz, The New York Times and
numerous other publications. This commercial work has received awards from
the Society of Illustrators (in New York and Los Angeles), Communication Arts
and Print Magazine.

Exhibitions include solo shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and Paris. Craig also exhibits regularly in group shows nationally and abroad.

A few examples:

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We can’t leave without showing a piece in progress for September’s show can we?

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The opening reception for Craig LaRotonda’s “A Consortium of Lost Souls” along with Amy Earles and Kevin Titzer is is Friday, September 4th from 6 – 9 pm at Stranger Factory.

Stranger Factory
3411 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049




Put a Bird on It

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Ya Dumb Bird!

We know, we know the preview for “Unwound” will be out within the next 48 hours but we just had to share these amazing bird paintings by Karl Deuble. Their fun, dorky, derpy, cuteness is just brilliant, and that has to be shared! Just look at these three no so good pigeons!

The opening reception for UNWOUND is Friday, May 1st from 6 – 9 pm at Stranger Factory. Karl along with Scribe and Joe Scarano will be in attendance.
Outta Here (1)Hey Bird, Hey!

Chris Ryniak & Amanda Louise Spayd’s Safe Harbor

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Safe Harbor

Chris Ryniak & Amanda Louise Spayd

From the edge of the boardwalk to the bottom of the sea,
adventure awaits!

Ohio artists Chris Ryniak and Amanda Louise Spayd are back with another collaborative exhibit, “Safe Harbor”. Moving away from their usual land-locked world, the artists breathe new life into the creatures who make their homes both above and below the boardwalk.

The artists have collaborated on some of their most ambitious new works yet, both stepping out of their comfort zone to tackle an entirely new breed of their well-loved creations. They’ve envisioned a world revolving around a dilapidated old wharf, worn by time and salt, inhabited by creatures both new and familiar.

This fresh and unexplored world has led both artists to craft bold, new creations; some of Spayd’s original Dust Bunnies have grown fins, adorning themselves with shells, crab claws, and fishhooks, while “Safe Harbor” will also reveal plenty of fresh, sea-dwelling additions to Ryniak’s usual roster of meticulously sculpted characters.

This is the fourth large-scale collaboration by Chris and Amanda, and as they continue to share ideas and inspire each other, their creations have found themselves cohabiting the rotting planks and watery depths of their own crumbling coastal paradise.

Join us at Stranger Factory as we drop anchor and spend some time with this fantastic new family of creatures from two of our most popular artists.

The opening reception is Friday, April 10th from 6 – 9 pm at Stranger Factory. Both artists will be in attendance.

***Due to high demand for these artists, items from the show will be available via raffle for attendees of the opening. Please contact Stranger Factory for more details.***

The opening reception is Friday, April 10th from 6 – 9 pm at Stranger Factory. Both artists will be in attendance.

Stranger Factory
3411 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049

“Dubious Beasts: Life Cycles” By Shing Yin Khor and Leslie Levings this March at Stranger Factory

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Stranger Factory – March Exhibit

Dubious Beasts: Life Cycles

Stranger Factory is excited to welcome the the third installation of the “Dubious Beasts” collaborative series of shows by Leslie Levings and Shing Yin Khor. In this show, the artists explore a universe of off kilter whimsy and inquire into the development processes of their curious creatures.

Leslie Levings is a sculptor renowned for her charming and personable Beastlies series. Her dubious creatures are elegant and lost in thought, cuddled into a nook of a tree, or perched over a quiet lake.

Shing Yin Khor is a sculptor and painter. Her dubious creatures are anxious and not particularly intelligent, a slightly alarmed look on their face as they appear in a range of sculptures and watercolour paintings detailing their observed behavior.

Paired with an obsession with natural history museums, trophy heads, and cabinets of curiosities, Levings and Khor bring to Stranger Factory a delightful menagerie of colourful, beady eyed critters – bending over clutches of eggs, and encased in cocoons, awaiting their final metamorphosis.

The exhibit runs March 6th through April 4th, with an opening reception on Friday, March 6th from 6 – 9 PM. Both artists will be in attendance.

PLEASE NOTE: This is the first show at Stranger Factory’s new location!

Stranger Factory
3411 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106

Peeps into the Peepshow!

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The Peepshow is hard at work making sure every tassel is perfectly placed, but we do have a few previews of what lovely ladies you will see at the epic Brandt Peters curated event.

Opening February 6th, and featuring the amazing artistic talents of Ryan Heshka, Sas Christian, Colin Christian, Jim Mahfood, Brian Ewing, Jasmine Becket-Griffith, Aunia Kahn, Tokyo Jesus and Brandt Peters, we are sure you won’t leave unsatisfied.

Now for a little preview.

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Mahfood
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Tokyo Jesus
Mini Peep
Jasmine Becket-Griffith
JBG
Heshka
LOOK OF BEAUTY art with matte hi resThe exhibit runs Feburary 6th through March 1st, with an opening reception on Friday, February 6th from 6 – 9 PM. Some artists will be in attendance.

February Exhibit: Peepshow curated by Brandt Peters!

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Stranger Factory – February Exhibit

Peepshow – A Group Exhibition of Pin-Up Artists

Stranger Factory is excited to announce “Peepshow”, a new group exhibit of contemporary pop artists reimagining the concept of pin-up art. The classic pin-up was a lowbrow form of art, originally intended as cheap titillation for the masses and commonly used as advertising. Curator Brandt Peters invited his peers to revisit the pin-up not as cheap commerce, but instead to use the form as a showcase for contemporary style, as well as more modern attitudes towards women and the female form.

Participating artists in the show include Ryan Heshka, Sas Christian, Colin Christian, Jim Mahfood, Jasmine Becket-Griffith, Aunia Kahn, Brian Ewing, Tokyo Jesus and Brandt Peters.

The exhibit runs Feburary 6th through March 1st, with an opening reception on Friday, February 6th from 6 – 9 PM. Some artists will be in attendance.

 

Weekly Roundup September 20 – 26

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Did you miss something on our social media sites this week? If you did, have no fear because we have you covered in one easy post!

This week we announced two exciting releases at Bewitching IV and covered the progress of many artists from the show.

First up, we are beyond proud to finally bring you two amazing releases at this year’s installment of Bewitching with the brand new Pocket Sideshow set featuring Brandt Peters, Kathie Olivas, Amanda Louise Spayd, and Chris Ryniak, along with the Stingy Jack “Pierrot” edition.

Stingy Blog

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We also looked into the studio of a handful of Bewitching IV artists. We got to see exactly what they are up to for the show! This always makes us want to see the finished work more and more.

Amanda Louise Spayd Carisa Swenson Jason Andrew Smith (2) Joe Scarano Lana Crooks

DrilThe Beast BrothersKeep your eyes open because we will have more soon!

 

The Stranger Factory x Cotton Candy Machine show is next week

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For the past few weeks, we have been giving you tons of teasers and progress images for the monumental Stranger Factory x Cotton Candy Machine show that opens on Friday, July 11! Two galleries with the same roster of artists is a pretty epic experiment, and we’re excited to be part of it!

Well, if you didn’t get a chance to see all our social media posts this week, here is a quick catch up for you. If you did see all of our fun development images, we have a surprise for you at the end of the slideshow!

hint: it is an image we haven’t shown yet. obviously. 

Kathie Olivas

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