Filled with rich, saturated colors, Greg “Craola” Simkins’s paintings present playful scenarios inspired by the natural world. Regal-looking birds, foxes and even hammer head shark enact allegorical dramas. The paintings play out like Shakespearean comedies: A sense of whimsical humor pervades the work, yet the characters’ elaborate costuming suggests that these are no ordinary creatures we are observing. The anthropomorphized animals appear to belong to an old world social order. One can’t help but attempt to deduce a commentary on the ways that power plays out our own society, but perhaps staring at the masterfully-painted feathers and fins is enough. Fittingly, Craola’s upcoming show at Merry Karnowsky Gallery in LA, opening May 17, is titled “Good Knight.” Take a look out our sneak peek of the show below, photos courtesy of Carlos Gonzalez aka Theonepointeight.
With "Burn With Me" at Arch Enemy Arts, Michael Reedy offers new mixed-media works that examine themes of birth and death. Kicking off on Sept. 6, the show follows the artist's 2016 show at the Philadelphia gallery, "Dust & Moonshine." The title "Burn With Me" is inspired by a Banana Yoshimoto short story with the line, ”I bet I go to hell when I die ... ” Reedy was last mentioned on our site 