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/

FRIDAY! Art opening @ Sanctuary

I and Loren Leahy have been working on putting this show together for over a year now. The results are finally in!

If you'd like a peek at some of my recent studio work, I've posted some in-process shots on my Flicker site, here.


All the work for this show is based on the theme of Illuminated Manuscripts.

Read on...

--Michelle
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GILTY PLEASURES art exhibition @ Sanctuary Tattoo

April 3rd – June 3rd, 2009

31 Forest Avenue – Portland, ME 04101

(207)828-8866

Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11-7

Opening Reception: Friday, April 3rd, 6:00-9:00pm

CONTACT: Chris Dingwell: (207)828-8866

chris@sanctuarytattoo.com | www.sanctuarytattoo.com

Sanctuary Tattoo is pleased to present GILTY PLEASURES from April 3rd to June 3rd, featuring the work of eleven artists: Loren Leahy, Michelle Souliere, Clayton Cameron, Michael Connor, Reuben Little, Helen Lukacs, Angus McFarland, Martha Miller, Michel Ouellette, Greg Souza, and Carrie Vinette.

Inspired by the theme of illuminated manuscripts and all their elaborate trappings, these artists have each labored over their own expression of this centuries-old tradition. Tasked with generating artwork inspired by any or all the elements of old parchments and moldering tomes filled with brilliant and mystifying imagery and text, this group of artists has produced a wide range of pieces, from watercolors to silkscreens, to shrinelike bottles, to bound volumes.

The way is paved with gold leaf, pigments made from semi-precious stones, and age-old imagery re-fired in the crucible of modern consciousness. The eye follows maze-like lines and finds itself growing new ideas in the back of the brain, subconsciously diving into the labyrinth, led by the string of breadcrumbs, worshipping at the altar of the page – humble paper brought high by the artist’s hand.

EVENT: Come see the Japanese Monster Makers of Maine!

SUPER MILK BABY JAPANESE MONSTER MASH-UP!

The title really says it all! This terrific group show at Sanctuary Tattoo pits eight of the Portland area's scariest artists against eachother in a battle of wits and skill over Tokyo! School girls will scream, bones will crack, the sushi will bite back, and buildings will crumble like old matzah balls... or something like that.

Featuring amazing new works of art by myself (Michelle Souliere), Carrie Vinette, Angus - Earl of Portland, Greg Souza, Mordecai Sulk, and more.

See my Flickr.com page for samples of works in progress! Tantalizing...