Laetitia Soulier, multimedia, 2014
Tonight, Mark Miller Gallery in New York celebrates what they call an anti-Santa event, “Beasticon II: Monstrous Art by Uncaged Creatures”. Co-curators Lori Nelson and Antony Zito are painters who glorify the eccentricities of their subjects. Zito’s are inspired by local neighborhood characters, while Nelson paints her ‘freaks’ with emotional sensitivity. At her website, Nelson says, “I became interested in the nature of the Beast. Has the myth of the half-man-half-beast persisted because we have always all felt its undeniable presence on some level? Where does the Beast dwell? What does the Beast do for a living? What does the Beast do for fun? Most importantly, what is the Beast?” She and Zito posed these questions to other artists including Laetitia Soulier, Jessicka Addams, Christina Pitsch, Eduardo Benedetto, Joshua Ben Longo, and more, who offer a range of paintings and sculpture. Their pieces are amusing, alarming and try to find the humanity in beasts, who do not all fit the stereotype.
“Beasticon II: Monstrous Art by Uncaged Creatures” exhibits at Mark Miller Gallery from December 11 through January 11, 2015.
Lori Nelson
Antony Zito
Joshua Ben Longo
Eduardo Benedetto
Eduardo Benedetto
Jessicka Addams