EVENT: Strange Maine artshow opens Friday!

WHAT: The Art of Strange Maine exhibition @ Sanctuary Tattoo
WHEN: Opening Reception: Friday, October 2nd, 6:00-9:00pm
WHERE: Sanctuary, 31 Forest Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
FMI: (207)828-8866, chris[at]sanctuarytattoo.com or sanctuarytattoo.com

Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11-7
Show runs October 2nd – November 4th, 2009

Sanctuary Tattoo is pleased to present THE ART OF STRANGE MAINE from October 2ND to November 4TH, a group show curated by Michelle Souliere, editor of the Strange Maine Gazette, with a special focus on the work of eleven artists: Tom Brown, Michael Connor, Jay Cornell, Brendan Evans, Morbideus Goodell, Jason Gorcoff, Frank Navarro, Zac Perkins, and Dave Stelmok. A small selection of other artists will also be participating. Work ranges from pen and ink drawings, to oil paintings, to carvings made from found wood, and beyond.

The theme of this show is the unique strangeness of Maine in all its forms.

What is Strange Maine?
Weirdos. Unmapped roads. Whispering rocks. Deadening fog. Ghost pirates. Lonely islands. THINGS in the WOODS. Home of Stephen King & Glenn Chadbourne. A place where the four seasons really know how to live. Maine: the way life should be! Strange Maine is made up of Maine's unique strangeness, people who love it, people who have experienced it, & people who are intrigued by it. History, mysteries, legends, cryptozoology, & more.

What inspires Strange Maine?
It is the MYSTERY of Maine that sends a reanimating frisson through our veins and lights our eyes to see in the dim ruins again. Mystery – the perfume of “strange.” Mystery is, by its very nature, that which cannot be fully understood. We need this. We need mystery in our lives. Mystery is our elixir. The job of these artists has been to draw this elixir out and present it in a visual form for viewers to explore on their own.

FURTHER ARTIST INFORMATION and IMAGES:

--Tom Brown: Copper Age Comics, New England Gothic comic
-- Michael Connor: Coelacanth zine
-- Jay Cornell: recently seen in “The Funnies” show at Whitney Art Works
-- Brendan Evans: http://www.kraag.org/strange/
-- Morbideus Goodell: http://morbideusgallery.tripod.com/
http://www.postmortem-prod.com/
-- Jason Gorcoff http://jgorcoff.blogspot.com/
-- Frank Navarro found wood sculpture
-- Zac Perkins http://www.zacperkins.com/