Dahlia Jane in front of work from High Class LowBrow

What happens when a group of renegade misfits who hold nothing sacred interpret classic masterworks?  If Hyaena Gallery’s current show, High Class LowBrow is any indication, the result is garish, obscene and heaps of fun.  The group show was co-curated by gallery owner Bill Shafer, and pop artist Chris the Creep.

Each artist was tasked with choosing a classic masterpiece and reinterpreting it through their own, lowbrow style.  And with choices from Goya to Da Vinci, Dali to Caravaggio, the show is an excellent parody of Art History 101 devised by deviants who probably shouldn’t even be allowed in nice museums.  Though it’s hard to imagine these pieces withstanding the test of time to become classics in their own right, that’s really not the point.  And it’s delightful to see the technical skill that many of the artists in the show employ to achieve their wicked ends.

The Artist Reception for this lighthearted romp was well attended last Saturday night and drew many local dark artists including show participants Eric Pigors, Rick Dienzo Blanco, and Shawn Dickinson as well as Hyaena regulars Spinestealer, Tatomir, Krystopher Sapp and Clint Carney.

Le Vamp Odalisque by Sara Ray is based on Ingres Le Grande Odalisque (1814). This oil on canvas painting is available for $900. I love this piece. It just makes me smile.

The always lovely Spinestealer on the left

Blue Boy Rising by Dienzo is based on Gainsborough's The Blue Boy (1770). The acrylic on canvas painting is available for $700. This is one of two pieces Dienzo created for this show. It's a very striking piece, from the ghostly skin tone with its decaying texture to the intricate folds of Blue Boy's costume. Dienzo did a remarkable job.

From left: Dienzo, Eric Pigors and Shawn Dickinson talking outside Hyaena

The Temptation of Siegbone by Shawn Dickinson is based on Salvador Dali's The Temptation of St. Anthony (1946). It's acrylic on canvas and available for $600. This is such a cool piece. I love the retro, classic cartoon feel. I was unfamiliar with Shawn's work, but I'm definitely inspired to check more of it out after seeing this energetic composition!

Gallery owner Bill Shafer on the right

American Goth-EEK! by Eric Pigors, is based, of course, on American Gothic (1930). This piece is sold, but colored prints are available for $20.

Artists Tatomir and Dienzo share a laugh

To see more of the show online, including a few of the more offensive pieces which I didn’t include because they were more naughty than dark, visit Hyaena Gallery’s website.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 13th, 2011 at 11:25 am and is filed under Around Los Angeles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.