Mark Henninger & Ken BlahutDesert Island
(Illustration by Lisa Hanawalt)
Desert Island
Curated by Gabe Fowler
March 4 – 25, 2011
Opening Reception – Friday, March 4
7:00PM – 10:00PM
The art book and underground comic scene can be a hard thing to explore, but luckily for those who live close to New York there is Desert Island, a comic and artbook store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The owner, Gabe Fowler opened shop in 2008 and has quickly made this small location a hub for local artists and cartoonists from around the world.
There are a wide range of titles from reissues of classic underground comics, like R. Crumb and Weirdo, to current selections from Picturebox by Brian Chippendale and Mat Brinkman; as well as international titles from small publishers like Le Dernier Cri and Kuti Kuti. If you make it to the shop you will find everything from limited edition art books to compilations of classic and obscure comics, to photocopied zines and screenprinted posters.
Not only is the range of titles compelling, but the space itself is very warm and inviting with the feel of a personal project. Anybody who has walked by the store has probably noticed the window displays which features a rotation of artists. Most of the artists are grounded in either narrative or illustrative works on paper, but as a reflection of the store’s eclectic range they are invited to create sculptural pieces for display. For this show Gabe has selected 4 previous artists to bring their installation work to Space 1026.
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Ali Aschman grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. Her work explores themes dealing with the nature of evil, innocence and violence. She creates sculptural installations incorporating wood, paint, paper, prints, light and sound – and also works on paper and large-scale murals. Aschman received a BFA from the University of Cape Town and has exhibited at Parlour, Storefront, Centotto, Flux Factory and the Wassaic Project.
http://aliaschman.com/
Lisa Hanawalt lives in Brooklyn and does illustrations and funnies for publications like McSweeney’s, Vice Magazine, the NY Times and Chronicle Books. She’s best known for her Ignatz Award-winning series I Want You, and has a low-brow monthly comic strip in The Believer.
http://lisahanawalt.com/
James Moore is originally from Northern Georgia and currently lives and works in New York. His loose brush work is characterized by images of anxiety and tension using grotesque and chaotic textures found in nature. Moore’s work has been featured in Giant Robot, Printed Matter, American Illustration and many more. A graduate of Pratt University, he currently works from his studio in Brooklyn.
http://www.jameselliottmoore.com/
John Mejias Is an artist living in NYC. He is part of the comics family called Partyka. John is the editor of the comic/zine Paping which appears thrice yearly. His comic “The Teachers Edition” Chronicles his experience as a public school art teacher. John also organizes events for the purposes of supporting subcultures such as Soapbox derby’s, Kite fights, and The Paping Pinewood derby taking place this spring. Most of John’s work is an exploration in printmaking (woodcut and Silkscreen). He is also a member of the music collective The Hungry Brothers.
http://www.partykausa.com/johnmejias/
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*** Also be sure to checkout Smoke Signal, a free comic newspaper that Gabe puts out on a regular basis. It is currently on it’s 7th issue and you can submit work or buy ad space to help keep it going! ***
March 4 – 25, 2011
Opening Reception – Friday, March 4
7:00PM – 10:00PM
SPACE 1026
1026 Arch St, 2nd floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107