On Saturday at Merry Karnowsky gallery, Greg ‘Craola’ Simkins fell down the rabbit hole into a dreamland championed by the “Good Knight”. His latest exhibition (previewed here) shows us a strange and beautiful world where good and evil coexists as armies of decadent animal soldiers. Simkins was inspired by the memory of his parents wishing him “good night” and the elaborate visions that would follow.
Greg ‘Craola’ Simkins with his work at the opening.
The painting that sparked this new series is “Messenger”, depicting an anthropomorphic parrot-headed swordsman splashing across the canvas. He carries a brass key that is a common motif throughout, unlocking a book from which Simkins’ illustrations flow. Like a dream, the mixture of images is eclectic and confused, celebrating the absurd place our mind goes to when we fall asleep. Beyond that, the work’s interpretation is left to the beholder.
In the next room are sketches of these twisted royal subjects. From monacle-wearing foxes, toucans in top hats, to the “Count Hare”, they all come together to form a whimsical social order. Outside, attendees enjoyed clips of his upcoming stop motion film, “I’m Scared”, projected onto the gallery walls facing La Brea Avenue. For an artist like Simkins who excels in bringing our wildest imagination to life, animation is an exciting next step.
“Good Knight” by Greg ‘Craola’ Simkins exhibits at Merry Karnowsky Gallery from May 17th to June 14th, 2014.
On Saturday night, Tokyo based artist 
Spanish artist Ivana Flores crafts pop-surrealist oil paintings with both a childlike sense of whimsy and ominous undertones. At grand sizes, the works carry an absorbing quality that pulls you into her worlds. Her work has been described as “reality, dream, everyday life and imagination merge at a turning point of boundless consciousness of self-image and world.”
A new retrospective surveys the work of Martin Wittfooth, whose paintings explore our ties to the natural world. The show is hosted at Muroff-Kotler Visual Arts Gallery at SUNY Ulster College, with works dating back to 2012. Among the recent work are a collection of circular works titled "Statis," with massive mammals floating against blood-red backdrops. The retrospective runs through Oct. 18 at the gallery. The artist created the cover for