In Vincent We Trust
2014
Water Colour On Cotton
8” (20cm) x 10” (25.5cm)

What's happening

Exhibitions & Events

EVENTS

RSVP Closed

The Take Over Show (Part 2)

When

Apr 09, 2024, 7:00 PM EDT – Aug 31, 2024, 10:00 PM EDT

Where

Billy Penn Studios,,

1516 N 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA

Details

The Death MASKS

The Death Masks

PINs

Smoking Bacon

(A deadee Portrait of Francis Bacon)
2019
Oil on Linen
70"x40”

Huf

2020
Charcoal, Air Brush on Paper
70"x40”

Skateboarding lost a true legend on Thursday, September 24th, 2020. Keith Hufnagel was more than just a skater; he embodied coolness. Huf skated gracefully with simplicity, and for those in the know, he was the epitome of the "Nah Pop No style."

I first met Huf during his initial skateboard tour of Australia, and though we didn't meet often, we kept in touch through a mutual friend for more than 20 years. It was disheartening to learn of Huf's condition, but his unshakeable demeanor made me wonder if it was as serious as it sounded.

Keith, your support for my art will always be remembered. Your likes and comments on my posts served as validation and encouragement. Huf, your legacy as a skateboarding legend will live on, and your absence will be deeply felt. Rest in peace, Huf forever.🖤🛹🖤

WGC VS HALS

(The Gypsy Girl in the louvre) 2019
Ink, Spray-paint and acrylics on paper
4”x4”

WGC VS VINCENT

(The loon in Washington D.C)
2019
Ink, Spray-paint and acrylics, paper print on wood panel.
8x8”

During a recent visit to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., I was captivated by Vincent Van Gogh's "Self-Portrait, 1889." This masterpiece reveals the artist's innermost thoughts and feelings, as it was one of his last works before his tragic descent into mental illness. Van Gogh painted it while he was voluntarily admitted to an asylum, and it is now known as the "Washington D.C. Vincent."

Despite his struggles, Van Gogh found solace in his art. He created two haunting self-portraits during his isolation in the asylum, one of which is displayed in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. In a letter to his brother, Van Gogh revealed that he was working on these portraits because he lacked other models. He shared his existential quest and his innermost struggles with his brother, painting himself as thin and pale as a ghost.

Van Gogh's words still resonate with us today, reminding us of the difficulty of knowing oneself. He acknowledged that it is not easy to paint oneself either, encapsulating the enigmatic dance between the self and the canvas that continues to fascinate and elude us.

The Eschaton, on pause till tomorrow.

2020
Acrylic, Pastel, Spray-Paint & Charcoal (from the Australian bushfires)
44”x30” (111.76cmx76.2cm)
Philadelphia USA

Observation 23: The Last Cig

2018
Acrylic on Wood Panel
10"x10"

My painting submission (Left) for the Barnes Foundation's "Let's Connect" exhibition is a response to Pierre-Auguste Renoir's pastel artwork "Two Nudes," c. 1897 (plate_number_1). Renoir's small, simple but fascinating artwork left me wondering what these two nude women were actually doing - were they dancing, making love, or wrestling? The ambiguity set my mind racing, and the image lingered with me well after I left The Barnes. Later that evening, while walking home through the city center and past the Board Game Art Park, also known as "The Pit," I witnessed an argument between two women who seemed to be suffering from substance abuse disorder. Their argument quickly turned violent over who would get to smoke the last cigarette. This quickly resulted in the pair wrestling to the ground and mirroring, with uncanny accuracy, the rolling pose of Renoir's two nudes. This juxtaposition of Renoir's artwork, the pit fighters, and the coincidental link to "smoking a cigarette," a theme common within many of the artworks of Barnes collection, all helped culminate this painting study that I've titled "Observation 23: The Last Cig.

MELBOURNizms