Crazy 4 Cult Customs Turns Tinseltown into Toys
Gallery1988 really lived up to its meta description of “the nation’s number one destination for pop-culture themed artwork” this past weekend by presenting a double dose of cult craziness across its two California galleries. In Los Angeles, the 3 G show featured 2D art inspired by Ghostbusters, Gremlins and Goonies. Up here in San Francisco, G1988 tasked artists with an extra dimension. Much like how The Cosby Show spun off A Different World, on Saturday night, the successful Crazy 4 Cult series gave birth to the first Crazy 4 Cult: Customs. When’s the last time you walked around a gallery and could identify the inspiration for a work of art and/or the artist? [Above, left to right: The Big Lebowski by Cristina Paulos, The Nightmare Before Christmas by Reactor-88 and Back to the Future by Task One.]
Crazy 4 Cult: Customs merges the usual suspects of the toy customizing scene with regulars on the gallery’s roster. As a result, we get treated to seeing a small, sword-wielding Kill Bill sculpture by Ken Keirns and a rather excellent forlorn Precious Moments version of Eraserhead by Paul Barnes.
The thinking outside the (TV) box award goes to textile artist, Ellen Schinderman, and her embroidered pillow triptych tribute to Heathers. Having a cushion cross-stitched with “corn nuts” or “mineral water” is like sending a secret signal that only a small percentage of people who sit on your couch will understand. The sheer joy of their recognition would completely outweigh all the furrowed brows, though. Seeing Heathers represented here made me wish another artist had tackled it figuratively, in addition. Ken Keirns is the obvious choice (I swear he’s painted Winona before for a G1988 show…). Because I just happen to know a talented toy artist who can recite the entire Heathers script, I hereby nominate Jon Knox to handle this matter in Crazy 4 Cult: Customs 2. (The show is expected to become an annual attraction!)
Working in 3D gave the artists freedom to create their works using the full 360 degrees. While Ellen’s pillows display different quotes on each side, Jen Rarey used the opportunity to give us “clean” and “blood-spattered” versions of Shawn of the Dead.
Jeremiah Ketner creatively used both sides of a DIY Mad*L toy to render distinct characters from The Professional. If art is an investment, this is two for the price of one!
One of my favorite aspects of these kinds of shows is seeing how different artists interpret the same subject.
