Currently on view at New York City’s Last Rites Gallery, Donato Giancola and Fred Harper’s respective solo shows take viewers into strange worlds influenced by science fiction and fantasy. Donato Giancola’s “Silent Tragedies” is a rich series of oil paintings set in a distant realm where mechanical meets Medieval. Painting with a filmmaker’s eye, he depicts his protagonists in pivotal moments of their adventures. Fred Harper’s show “Virus Like Us” takes viewers into a megalopolis where biomorphic shapes become architectural structures (H.R. Giger appears to be a big influence). Harper attributes his interest in strange cityscapes to the culture shock he experienced when coming to New York from a small Pennsylvania town. Both shows are on view through October 4, so check them out while you still can.
Fred Harper: