Winston Smith – Chet Zar – Rachel Bess – Dark Vomit artist reception – with music by: The Billybones – at Corpo Nason Gallery – Santa Monica, CA

In what is turning out to be one of the coolest places to see art, Corpo Nason gallery at Bergamot Station Arts complex in Santa Monica hosted another smashing artist reception. For the uninitiated, an artist reception is the opening night where an artist shows their prime pieces, they usually have tons of free drinks and some, like Corpo Nason will feature live music. Tonight's reception featured the works of Winston Smith who most know his stuff from the many iconic album covers he created for the Dead Kennedys, as well as many flyers of the 80's.

The following is from the press release on the opening and will certainly get you up to speed on the artist that are currently being exhibited that run till October 24, 2009. You will want to make sure you head over and see these exhibited works while they are there.

Artist reception: Saturday, October 3, 8:00 - 11:30 pm
Featuring: Winston Smith, Chet Zar, Rachel Bess, Dark Vomit
Food by Don Chow Chinese Taco Truck
Music by The Billybones

Winston Smith "In God We Trust Inc." in Gallery 1

( Relics from the Archives and New Blasphemies from the Vaults )
A retrospective of Winston's career, this show leads with the ephemera circa 1977, which helped define the Punk art scene in San Francisco (including several Dead Kennedys pieces whose only other "gallery" appearance have in the way of wheatpaste), and leads through his editorial shock pieces, which create a true "gloves off" visual history of politics and American culture.

Also on display will be cover art for Green Day, and magazines such as the New Yorker and Playboy, and other epic masterpieces old and new, which have to be seen up close and in the flesh to truly show Smith's unique and unqualified mastery in the art of montage.  Layer upon layer of skillfully "carved" elements, some of which are from antique magazines, are puzzled together to form absurd and sometimes hilarious images, whose compositions are so seamless, they look as if they were born that way.


Chet Zar's "Lilith" In Gallery 2

This exhibition of 7 new paintings centers around the the myth of Lilith, which was a banned book from the bible. She was the female Mesopotamian storm demon associated with night birds, desolate desert landscapes, and wind and was thought to be a bearer of disease, illness, and death. She is also considered to be the archetypal feminist, being the first wife of Adam who was banished from the Garden of Eden for speaking the name of God and refusing Adam's sexual dominance. Rather than succumb, she was cursed with angels killing 100 of her children per day that she had with with Samael (the Jewish Angel of Death said to have impregnated Eve with Cain) and stillbirth. The legend goes on that In revenge against God she kills 100 of Adam and Eve's children per day.

Chet states, "Of course this sounded like a great subject for me to take on so I decided to try and blend some of those ideas with my own. It was really just a good excuse to paint females, something that I rarely do. I have a much easier time painting ugly things that are either androgynous or slightly masculine. I don't know why. So I looked on it as a challenge and really got into it. It's a fun series of paintings."


Rachel Bess "Infinity in a Second" in Gallery 2

For the first time at Copro Gallery Rachel Bess presents a mini-show of 3 detailed oil paintings. "My paintings portray a scene as though you are looking though a peephole and you may be looking at some type of sacred event that contains a touch of the surreal. Instead of the usual images in sacred paintings I use elements from the natural world, often elevating them to the focal point of the scene and either altering or entirely replacing traditional iconography. The paintings contain this scientific element because of my deep love for biology, botany and natural history. These bits of the sciences carry a thread throughout my work about people's desire to understand and manipulate the world around them. I believe this desire can be explained by the thought that if people can control other aspects of nature, then maybe they have a shot at controlling the heavy hand of natural fate and overcoming what nature eventually has in store for all of us.


Dark Vomit "Killer Clown Revue" in Gallery 3

Dark Vomit presents the "Killer Clown Revue". More than just an art show it will be an event featuring our favourite loveable clown J.W.G. For one night only J.W.G. will be in attendance handing out autographs, balloons and Sno-Cones!! Dark Vomit's POP Art doesn't disappoint! Featuring some of his masterpieces such as the clown's "Last Supper" and "Smokeout" this will be an incredible show!!

The Billybones LIVE performance

The Billybones were super excited to be playing the art opening for Winston Smith and with that, the crowd was treated to alot of new material that was written for an upcoming Billybones album. Lead man, Billybones is heir to the original Punk scene in Los Angeles going back to the days of the Masque, Bones has a ton of gas in the tank and the songs just keep coming. No word on when this new record will street, yet like everything else that Billybones touches, you know this will be a record you will want to pick up.

Don Chow Chinese Taco Truck

So kick ass food comes out of this truck! Killer tacos, quesidillas, to rice bowls - great catering that ads to a fun night of art, music and mingling. Bookmark Carpo Nason, you will want to stay up to date on all their top shelf events.
 

 

Big Wheel Online Magazine

 

More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 
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