Intro

Gallery Name: Chroma

Location: Yucaipa, CA

Run By: Katlynn Tatge

Type of Work: All types of work are welcome in this gallery; there are no boundaries on age of artists nor work, level of experience, medium of the art, etc. The work shown here is simply work that catches my eye and I feel needs to be shared with others.

Exhibition Introduction

Exhibition Title: What Doesn't Kill You
Artists Being Shown: Tiia Reijonen, Elizabeth Tilly, Linda Ronning, Kevin Llewellyn, Menton Matthews III, Zack Dunn, Kit King & Corey Popp, Shawn Beaudry, and Clara Lieu
Exhibition Statement: This show centers around macabre art and the beauty of horror and dark arts. The work in the exhibition does not necessarily focus on death or injury, but all connect based upon the creepy atmosphere they present, no matter the subject. In terms of selecting artists, I have researched online for work that may fall into this category. Since there are so many great works out there that have a macabre feel to them but don't have death as a subject, I didn't want to limit my theme and therefore the artists connect more on the feeling and atmosphere of the work, not necessarily subject matter. 

Tiia Reijonen

Artist: Tiia Reijonen
Title: Butcher's Boy
Medium: Digital Art, Painting
Size: Digital IN. x Digital IN. (0cmx0cm) (digital media- no set size)
Date: 2013
About the Artist: Tiia is a 21 year old artist living in Helsinki, Finland. She is currently studying graphic design in Aalto University. She focuses on digital art, illustration, and graphic design. 
Statement: "I'm really interested in adapting existing ideas and concepts to be relevant and relatable in this moment and place in time. There's definitely something that resonates in the idea of an individual accidentally tampering with forces far beyond their understanding; crossing forbidden boundaries, coming across cursed objects, provoking unknown gods and whatnot." -Tiia Reijonen
About the Work/Connections: "I wanted to try and paint something a bit more complicated and layered. I am very happy about how some individual parts turned out but overall I think there might just [be] a bit too much going on here." - Tiia Reijonen 

This piece is grim and gruesome in a couple of ways. Obviously, the body parts and organs of animals scattered throughout the work start the shock factor, but Tiia pushes the boundaries by beginning to cut the boy open as well, exposing his brain. The boy is painted to look very pale and sickly, adding to the feel of the painting. What I think makes this painting not as gruesome as it could be is the manner in which it was painted. It isn't very realistic, and though the piece is very dark, it is also very colorful. If this were a hyper-realistic it might be too much. 

Chet Zar

Artist: Chet Zar
Title: Horror Head
Medium: Oil on Gessoboard in custom sculpted, hand cast urethane resin frame
Size: 5x7
Date: 2012
About the Artist: "Born on November 12th, 1967, in the harbor town of San Pedro, CA, Chet Zar's interest in art began at an early age. His parents were always very supportive and never put any limits on his creativity. His entire childhood was spent drawing, sculpting and painting.

Zar's interest in the darker side of art began in the earliest stages of his life. A natural fascination with all things strange fostered within himself a deep connection to horror movies and dark imagery. He could relate to the feelings of fear, anxiety and isolation that they conveyed. These are themes which had permeated most of his childhood drawings and paintings and are reflected in his work to this day.

The combined interest in horror films and art eventually culminated into a career as a special effects make up artist, designer and sculptor for the motion picture industry, designing and creating creatures and make up effects for such films as, "The Ring", "Hellboy I & II", "Planet of the Apes" and the critically acclaimed music videos for the art metal band Tool. Zar also embraced the digital side of special effects as well, utitlizing the computer to translate his dark vision with 3D animation for Tool’s live shows and subsequently releasing many of them on his own DVD of dark 3D animation, "Disturb the Normal".

But the many years spent dealing with all of the politics and artistic compromises of the film industry left Zar feeling creatively stagnant. At the beginning of 2000 (at the suggestion of horror author Clive Barker), he decided to go back to his roots and focus on his own original works and try his hand at fine art, specifically painting in oils. The result has been a renewed sense of purpose, artistic freedom and a clarity of vision that is evident in his darkly surreal (and often darkly humorous) paintings." - From chetzar.com

Statement: "When I start a painting, I let my intuition lead the way, just like when I was a kid, sketching without an obvious purpose, lost in a world of monsters. It felt like home then and it still does now.The characters I paint may seem like creatures from another dimension, but I think they are simply us, here and now. Modern humanity without it's masks, without the adornments that make us acceptable to whatever group we are a part of. From the straight-laced conservative to the anti-social rebel, we all cover up to fit in someplace. Yet the only place where we are truly the same is on the inside.We all share feelings of fear and loneliness. We feel insecure and vulnerable. We feel separate from our environment and each other. These are the feelings that I try to convey in my paintings. These are the feelings that connect us." -Chet Zar

About the Work/Connections: Zar creates ghoulish creatures he feels represent people and the emotions they have deep inside. I feel like that idea is very present in his work. You can see the emotions in his paintings- the fear, anger, shame, loneliness and wanting. The eyes of his creatures are so incredibly expressive, yet at the same time feel empty. His creatures are terrifying yet beautiful; you feel sorrow for them. It seems as if they are calling out to you through the piece.

Elizabeth Tilly

Artist: Elizabeth Tilly
Title: Aristocat
Medium: Pencil on Paper
Size: 35x35 cm
Date: 2013
About the Artist: "When the lasagna content in my blood gets low, I get mean. Besides that I am a 20 year old art student from Sweden who prefer to dress in black."-Tilly
Statement: "My passion in life is drawing - an obsession I tend to practice during the night. Most frequently I work with a mechanical pencil accompanied by white charcoal, and there has often come to be a dark sentiment over my pieces. Simply put: I'm obsessed by the lust of obscurity." -Tilly
About the Work/Connections: Tilly has mastered darkness in her work. She takes images, such as this, an image of a friends cat, and transforms them into creepy, gloomy masterpieces. The high value contrast and third eye on the cat move this from touching portrait to a slightly disturbing, moody piece. Her work has subtleties that push it them into the zones of horror and macabre, and she truly has a style that is all her own.

Linda Ronning

Artist: Linda Ronning
Title: Sinister
Medium: Pencil on acid free sketching paper
Size: 11"x8"
Date: 2014
About the Artist: Linda Ronning is based out of Kvalsund, Norway. She is 26 years old and describes herself as a "hopeful illustrator".
Statement: "I define my work as sharp and clean, nightmarish, macabre, weird and slightly sexy. I like balancing the real with the unreal. And skulls. Lots of skulls."- Linda Ronning

About the Work/Connections: Linda describes her work perfectly. It's clean and crisp, yet haunting and nightmarish. Her work isn't shockingly morbid or disturbing, yet like this piece, it has a creepy feeling that makes it difficult to ignore. She uses a lot of classic horror subjects in her work such as this baby doll, as well as puppets, insects, etc. Her work is kept simple, which in my opinion adds to the eerie feel.

Kevin Llewellyn

Artist: Kevin Llewellyn
Title: Kat Von D/ Blood Rosaries
Medium: Oil On Canvas
Size: 24"x 20"
Date: 2009
About the Artist: Kevin Llewellyn is an American painter known for his dark ultra realistic life size full body or life inspired oil paintings. Llewellyn was born in Ohio. He attended the Ringling College of Art and Design, and since has been a permanent resident of Los Angeles, California, where he continues to paint realistic portraits, full body portraits, and dark subject matter utilizing techniques of 17th-century painting masters. Kevin has taught art workshops at Gnomon, Wonderland LA, ConceptArt.org events and at colleges around the United States and Europe. He was recently the opening artist for Kat Von D's art gallery: Wonderland LA.
Statement: "The art of Kevin Llewellyn is extraordinarily complex despite its traditional and academic look. For one thing his artistic personality is split between being a creative giant capable of bringing to life amazing and fantastic beings that challenge the imagination and a genuine understanding and appreciation for 19th century academic realism. ... For those of us frustrated by the unbelievable lack of talent exhibited in the art world today, Kevin Llewellyn seems to offer us a ray of hope." - Dr. Louis A. Zona, Director, The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio.
About the Work/Connections:  This piece by Llewellyn is a portrait of Kat Von D, whom he says is his "eternally beautiful muse." He has done multiple paintings of her and has worked closely with her, even having an exhibition in her Wonderland Gallery in 2010. Kevin's work is very dark and macabre, mostly focusing on the human body and skulls. While this piece may not be dark as dark as others, it definitely has a morbid feeling to it. The detail of the heart is only accented by the rosaries dripping with blood, bringing in thoughts of religion and afterlife, even helplessness. The portrait behind is lacking saturation, giving it a haunting, ghostly feel, only adding to the mood of the painting.

Menton3

Artist: Menton J. Matthews III (Menton3)
Title: Hell-Bound Train 3
Medium: Digital
Size: Digital IN. x Digital IN. (0cmx0cm) (digital media- no set size)
Date: 2011
About the Artist: Born 1976 in Mississippi, living and working in Chicago, Illinois, Matthews is a self-taught artist working for IDW publishing where he paints graphic novels and comic books. Matthews has had a lifelong interest in the relationship between symbols, signs and images and that part of ourselves we most commonly refer to as "unconscious".
Statement: "My interest in painting stems from my investigation into the relationship between images and their relevant use within the psyche. Many of the mythological, religious, alchemical, and historical icons, symbolic figures and shapes stimulate, if not summon, internal functions." -Matthews
About the Work/Connections: "This is the cover art for the third issue of "That Hellbound Train" coming from IDW publishing this year [2011]." - from Menton's website. 

To me, this piece is a symbol for never having enough time, and never living for the moment, but always looking ahead until it's too late. The woman in the piece seems to have run out of time and is stuck with the choices she has made in her life. This image tells this dark, yet common story in a blunt, scary way. You see the pain and horror within her as she screams out for more time. There are symbols of death present in the work, and the woman herself seems worn and ghostly, creating a dark atmosphere.

Zack Dunn

Artist: Zack Dunn
Title: Coulrophobia
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Size: 20"x40"
Date: 2015
About the Artist: Zack Dunn is an artist based out of Reading, Pennsylvania whose work has been featured at Bloodlines Gallery and Tattoo Studio.
Statement: "Horror art that is hand painted using oils on canvas". -Dunn
About the Work/Connections: Dunn's paintings focus on monsters, chilling creatures and portraits, and even some animals, such as owls. Any one of his works could easily be turned into a horror film antagonist. The blood on the subject's face and enormous smile hint at clown-like features without being too obvious and cheesy, and lead you back to the title- Coulrophobia- the fear of clowns. Dunn's work toys with peoples fears and phobias without being brash. His creations are made in a tasteful way, making them to be beautiful macabre pieces instead of overdone, dull ideas.

Kit King and Corey "Oda" Popp

Artist: Kit King and husband Corey "Oda" Popp
Title: Raw
Medium: Oil Painting on linen wrapped birch gallery panel
Size: 24"x30"
Date: 2015
About the Artist: "Born November 29th, 1987, of two artist parents, I was raised with significant creative influence. I've witnessed the affect art had on their lives, and naturally kept art close to me throughout the years. Currently living in rural Ontario, where I was raised, I spend my days painting full time with my husband, Oda.
Through a focus on hyperrealism, my paintings are reflections of the ephemeral visual relationships around us. Capturing fleeting moments that affect our emotional state from a singular glance, under the aegis of a heightened sense of reality.... I do not merely want to meticulously capture an image, but rather breathe a vital life force into transformed renditions of the world around me. I want my pieces to evoke a deep sense of emotion influenced not only from an in-depth tangibility executed through a high level of detail, but married with a sincere passionate portrayal of contemporary art. I'm very much a recluse, who has a difficult time forming interpersonal relationships; painting in this manner of fabricated reality is my way of connecting to subjects, while simultaneously sending a strong message to the viewer."-King
Statement: 'King is an eminent hyperrealist who's artwork manifests through meticulous attention to detail and sharpness achieved through textural focus and reproduction. Her work exists as the antonym to her conception, which is inherently more abstract. The convergence of these separate handlings reflects the beauty and power of art as well as its liquidity of expression." - Gabriel Tenneson
About the Work/Connections: "My current bodies of work are heavily focused on light and shadow, and how the element of light can alter the relationship of a viewer and subject. The goal being to propel the audience to connect to one transient moment, captured through mood, established from the control of light and shadow."- King

The shadowing in this piece definitely creates a more somber, chilling mood. This image is disturbing, but not in an overbearing way. The piece could've easily just been a head cut up realistically, but the fact that king created it to look like a cut up steak somehow makes it even more odd. The piece has very dull colors and the man's face has a very blank expressing, making the image feel very lifeless and haunting.

Shaun Beaudry

Artist: Shaun Beaudry
Title: Bastard Sapling Album Cover
Medium: Pen and Ink
Size: 10"x10"
Date: 2014
About the Artist: Shaun Beaudry, A.K.A. "Mister Beaudry", is an illustrator from Detroit, Michigan, currently residing in historic Savannah, Ga.. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design. His work tends reflect the natural world, isolation, and the macabre.
Statement: "Beaudry's paintings and illustrations are highly focused on the natural world, isolation, and cyclical imagery. Lavishly detailed, his work shows a painstaking level of craftsmanship reminiscent European woodcuts, namely the engravings of Albrecht Durer. His mysterious and hauntingly beautiful illustrations bring the timeless motifs of life and death to the modern aesthetic, and rich occult symbolism to a new audience." -from Beaudry's website
About the Work/Connections: "This drawing was heavily influenced by the work of Zdzislaw Beksinski."- from Beuadry's website

Beksinksi's work often features death and has a post apocalyptic feel to it, and I can see how Beaudry was influenced here. To me, this piece is like the grim reaper or angel of death out searching for lost souls with his own soulless hell hound. There is a strong depiction of death and the afterlife without bodies and gore spread throughout the work. The high contrast and feature-less faces add the the macabre feel.

Clara Lieu

Artist: Clara Lieu
Title: Unknown 1
Medium: lithographic Crayon on Dura-Lar
Size: 48"X30"
Date: 2009
About the Artist: "I am a professor, writer, and visual artist. I write an advice column for visual artists called "Ask the Art Professor" which is featured in the Huffington Post. I currently teach in the Illlustration department at the Rhode Island School of Design. In the past I have taught in RISD Foundation Studies, the RISD Printmaking department, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, at Wellesley College, and at the Lesley University College of Art and Design. For four years I was the Director of the Jewett Gallery. My studio practice explores isolation and mental illness through drawing, printmaking, and sculpture. I have exhibited my work at the International Print Center New York,Bromfield Gallery, the Danforth Museum of Art, the Currier Museum of Art, the RISD Museum of Art, and the Davis Museum and Cultural Center."
Statement: I've always been interested in relationships between groups and individuals, why we group the way we do. For example, any time I'm at a social gathering where people are collecting, I find myself analyzing the actions between people, looking at how people are moving from group to group, who's where, who's over there. It's a feeling I've had since I was really young, I remember being six years old and noticing stuff like this. Those three people are clustering; that person is alone. I really don't much like grouping with people. I'm on my own a lot of the time. So when I'm in a crowd, I look to see who else is standing alone.
About the Work/Connections: "This project presents the most severe form of isolation as loneliness that is experienced when physically surrounded by other people. This is a specific form of loneliness that is involuntary and imposed upon by others, creating a state of discontent characterized by bitterness and a sense of punishment. The presence of others is what can heighten and intensify the experience of loneliness for an individual. These works depict figure groups wading in an infinite and undefined body of water. I visually portray loneliness as the experience of feeling unseen and unknown within a group." -Lieu 

Lieu likes to focus on peoples deepest emotions and the interactions, or lack thereof, we have with others around us. I think knowing this adds to the feeling in her work and makes it even more relatable. I like that her pieces are so creepy and mysterious, because that's exactly how the feelings she is portraying are; mysterious. The figures are like a darkness we all have lurking inside of us, brought to life for all to see.

Conclusion

During the process of organizing this exhibition, I found it especially difficult and challenging to pull even just ten works by various artists. It is always somewhat difficult to find information about artists, especially smaller artists or artists who keep to themselves, and so finding this amount of information, though it may seem basic, was exhausting. One thing that came naturally was the research of different works, because I do so for myself in my spare time and for inspiration. I enjoy searching through endless paintings, drawings, sculptures, etc., so that part of the project was actually enjoyable. However, it was challenging finding artist names, let alone all of the other requirements, because people often disregard the artist and post only the work. It gets to the point where finding facts is near impossible unless the artist is well-known, so many pieces I would have like to have been in the shown had to get taken out due to lack of information available. I feel that the job of a curator would be incredibly stressful and time consuming. Whether it be simply choosing pieces or gathering information needed from the artists, the process must be difficult. Overall, I feel like the theme I chose made it easy to connect artists, because they're all sort of a community of horror loving misfits. Though they have individual processes, ideas, and concepts, they all have similar moods and themes.