From now until September 5th, the Distinction Gallery in Escondido, California has an extremely exciting group show that shows off what our world might look like if the mystical was paired with the scientific. Floating objects defying gravity, bodies contorting into miscellaneous shapes, and human limbs that look more like jello are all present in full force.

The lineup includes Sean Chappell (with Renewal 1, above), whose time and space-traversing works are modern surrealism at its best. Also on display are pieces by the whimsical Gene Guynn (with Revolution, left), the charmingly unpolished Joseph Borzotta (with Bittersweet Fruit of Knowledge, bottom left), the conceptually-amazing Andy Haynes (with Overhead the Albatross Hangs Motionless Upon the Air, bottom right), and the pop-surreal Joka (with Do Humans Dream of Organic Peace, below).

But seriously, as if these pieces aren’t exciting enough, there are more amazing pieces by similarly-themed individuals such as the amazing work of Christian Rex Van Minnen (see previous blog post here and twisted story book art of Mark Bryan.

This lineup is definitely ridiculous and shouldn’t be missed if you like the surreal at all. So go check out the Distinction Gallery, NOW!

www.distinctionart.com
www.seanchappell.com
www.geneguynn.com
www.josephborzotta.com
www.andyhaynesart.com
www.myspace.com/joka444
www.seevanminnen.com
www.artofmarkbryan.com

Coming in three days is a show in Escondido, California, that features the works of three technically proficient artists all bonded by an unconventional, twisted flair. Here’s what you can expect in Distinction Gallery’s upcoming show.

First, there’s Scott Brooks. His warm-colored works feature warped characters who walk the fine line between human and alien. Brooks plays on this ambiguity and feeds the visual palate of folks who might like slightly bizarre things along the lines of William Burrough’s Naked Lunch. There’s something engaging and interesting about Brooks’ way of throwing the head of a man upon the torso of a chicken in The Last Humpty Dance and his way of putting disgusting items like human organs into a bright menagerie of organs in Renaissance Man (shown below).

Andy Haynes was previously featured in REDEFINE with his slightly surreal character paintings. His newest pieces have headed in a different and similarly exciting direction. In One Hour of Awareness (below), a hodge-podge of items float across the painting, creating a sci-fi environment of weightlessness and a feeling of a hyperreality. This piece and others are set in nearly futuristic states, but others fall back on humanity’s more tribal, natural roots, creating an interesting dichotomy between two polarized periods views on human existence.

The last artist in this mix is Marie Barr, who, compared to Haynes and Brooks, has arguably more grounded works. It’s a quality that makes her works accessible to individuals of all ages. In addition, whereas the other two primarily use oil on canvas, Barr’s works use watercolors, inks, pastels, and other soft, enveloping mediums, including teas. The results are highly stylized character studies imposed on textured backgrounds, as seen in Things Learned Young (below).