Chuck Sperry

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October 14, 2014 By squirt

“Mimi de Montmartre” by Sperry in “Le Chat Noir” at Modern Eden Gallery

MIMI WEB

“Mimi de Montmartre”
18 x 24
Edition of 25
9 colors on oak panel (framed)
Signed and Numbered
_____________
A limited number of this edition of oak panels will be available through Modern Eden Gallery from October 18 until November 1, 2014.
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“Le Chat Noir”
Modern Eden Gallery
801 Greenwich Street, San Francisco
Request Collector Preview |  RSVP 
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Opening Reception: Saturday October 18, 2014 6-9 pm
Exhibition Dates: October 18 – November 1, 2014
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Featuring: Ransom & Mitchell, Lacey Bryant, Carly Janine Mazur, Leilani Bustamante, Laura Buss, Chuck Sperry, Ania Tomicka, Amandalynn, Leon Loucheur, Justin Hopkins, Sheri DeBow, Jessica L.L Dalva, Megan Buccere, Caitlin Hackett, Carolyn Weber, Kurtis Rykovich, Mandy Tsung, Robert Bowen, Erica Calardo, Simona Candini, Lucy Yu, Syd Bee, Marc Le Rest, Brianna Angelakis, Jaclyn Alderete, Christina Mrozik & Zoe Keller.
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Modern Eden Gallery asked me to be in their group show, “Le Chat Noir,” in tribute to the fin de siècle Paris night club, known by the famous black cat poster art of Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen. Le Chat Noir, which was situated in Paris’ Montmartre district, was the forerunner of all night club entertainment, and by corollary the forerunner of most night-life and rock concert entertainment. This form of popular, public musical expression found it’s beginning in the 19th Century club Le Chat Noir. Of particular importance to me and my work, is that Le Chat Noir’s events were often commemorated with the world’s first posters by the very first poster artists. It’s history is also the history of poster art.
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There is a very subtle Japanese flavor to this piece (the figure wears a simple kimono, there is a distinct flattening and simplification of line and form, the use of pattern, and graphic black silhouette of the hair, hat, flowers and feather) which reflects the influence of the much older traditions of Japanese printing, poster art and aesthetics in the fin de siècle poster artists of France, current at the time of Le Chat Noir.
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My piece “Mimi de Montmartre” reflects my connection to contemporary Paris night life, pays tribute to the roots of the world’s night club scene, while paying tribute to the roots of the poster medium.
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I was introduced to the rock’n’roll night club scene in Paris through the friends of Born Bad Records, where I had my one of first Paris shows in 2005, on my poster tour promoting the new book “The Art of Modern Rock.” Born Bad is at the heart of the Parisian rock’n’roll underground. I was introduced to Born Bad by expatriate artist Sunny Buick (formerly from San Francisco). I have participated in numerous shows in a myriad of Paris night clubs (and galleries), year after year, since my introduction to this really great group of friends and rockers.
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Mimi de Montmartre is a well-known, rock’n’roll burlesque dancer who performs onstage with many of the best underground Paris rock acts today. I felt it would be cool to re-imagine my friend Mimi as a 19th Century entertainer, as if she were on a poster for Le Chat Noir. After all, she is Mimi de Montmartre, I couldn’t think of Le Chat Noir, the most famous Montmartre institution, without thinking of her.
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I printed this very limited edition of 25 pieces on white oak panel, in seven conventional colors, and two custom mixed interference colors (violet and green) which I mixed into a clear base from dry pigment powder. Overlayed on the dark black of her hair and hat silhouette, the interference colors have a very subtle opalescent sheen which refracts light against the light absorbing medium of a black (or light absorbing) ground.
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The background pattern for my art piece is inspired by the wooden Chat Noir effigy which stood above the door of the famous club. I encountered the actual wooden cat head effigy last summer at the Musée de Montmartre in Paris (you may have seen photos from my visit to the museum last summer, if you follow my instagram), and it made it’s way into this piece as a background pattern.
BLACK CAT WEB

Filed Under: Art Prints, Events Tagged With: Amandalynn, Ania Tomicka, Born Bad, Brianna Angelakis, Caitlin Hackett, Carly Janine Mazur, Carolyn Weber, Christina Mrozik, Chuck Sperry, Erica Calardo, Jaclyn Alderete, Jessica L.L Dalva, Justin Hopkins, Kurtis Rykovich, Lacey Bryant, Laura Buss, Le Chat Noir, Leilani Bustamante, Leon Loucheur, Lucy Yu, Mandy Tsung, Marc Le Rest, Megan Buccere, Mimi de Montmartre, Modern Eden Gallery, Ransom & Mitchell, Robert Bowen, Sheri DeBow, Simona Candini, Sunny Buick, Syd Bee, Zoe Keller

August 9, 2012 By squirt

VIP Reception for Varnish Fine Artists Benefit Visual Aid

Thursday, August 16, 2012

from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM (PDT)

Varnish Fine Art
16 Jessie Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

(VIP Cocktail Party and Art Sale)

“Mind Spring” (Purple) 2011

Edition of 4

36 x 44

6 colors hand-silkscreened on birch panel

Signed and Numbered

Varnish Fine Art welcomes you to an evening of cocktails and hors d’oevres with gallery artists Jennybird Alcantara, Isabel Samaras, Ransom&Mitchell and Chuck Sperry plus representatives from Visual Aid.  Varnish Fine Art and their artists are proud supporters of Visual Aid and their mission to encourage artists with life-threatening illnesses to continue their work.  The gallery presents a unique exhibit of contemporary artwork for this event, and one quarter of all art sales will be donated to Visual Aid, a San Francisco organization founded in 1989 by a group of passionately concerned artists, collectors and art dealers to serve artists affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Today, Visual Aid supports the creative work of artists whose careers are challenged because of any life-threatening illness.  Along with exhibitions in the Visual Aid Gallery and corporate spaces, Visual Aid provides grants, free art supplies and community to artists in need.

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Isabel Samaras, Jennybird Alcantara, Ransom & Mitchell, Varnish Fine Art, Visual Aid

May 16, 2012 By squirt

“Alpha” & “Omega” Art Prints

“Alpha” 2012

23 x 35

6 colors on archival cream paper

Edition of 50

Signed and Numbered

_______________

“Alpha” 2012

Silver Edition

23 x 35

6 colors on silver metallic paper

Edition of 10

Signed and Numbered

_______________

“Alpha” 2012

Bronze Edition

23 x 35

5 colors on bronze metallic paper

Edition of 10

Signed and Numbered

_______________

“Alpha” 2012

Gold Edition

23 x 35

5 colors on gold metallic paper

Edition of 10

Signed and Numbered

SOLD OUT – Thank You!

_______________

“Alpha” 2012

Birch Panel Edition

23 x 35

6 colors on birch wood panel

Edition of 15

Signed and Numbered

_______________

“Omega” 2012

23 x 35

6 colors on archival cream paper

Edition of 50

Signed and Numbered

________________

“Omega” 2012

Silver Edition

23 x 35

6 colors on silver metallic paper

Edition of 10

Signed and Numbered

________________

“Omega” 2012

Bronze Edition

23 x 35

5 colors on bronze metallic paper

Edition of 10

Signed and Numbered

________________

“Omega” 2012

Gold Edition

23 x 35

5 colors on gold metallic paper

Edition of 10

Signed and Numbered

SOLD OUT – Thank You!

________________

“Omega” 2012

Birch Panel Edition

23 x 35

6 colors on birch wood panel

Edition of 15

Signed and Numbered

_______________

My “Alpha” & “Omega” art prints, variant editions and birch panels will be released on Friday, May 18, at 4:20 pm by Varnish Fine Art at San Francisco’s coolest art festival – ArtPad at the Phoenix Hotel.

Varnish & I will be making a very limited online release here on my site on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at a random time.

Here’s a large image of the two prints side-by-side:

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From May 17 to May 20, over 10,000 art enthusiasts and collectors will return to the iconic Phoenix Hotel for the second edition of ArtPadSF, San Francisco’s only hotel-based art fair. Referred to by art community insiders as “a touch of Art Basel Miami in San Francisco,” ArtPadSF is an unparalleled crossroads for the creative and marketplace for groundbreaking contemporary art.

Meet the Varnish Fine Art crew in Room 30 at the Phoenix Hotel for ArtPadSF 2012

Featured Artists:

Jennybird Alcantara
Mike Davis
Jessica Joslin
Chris Mars
Ransom & Mitchell
Isabel Samaras
Chuck Sperry

Here’s a preview of all the fantastic art Varnish Fine Art will be laying on the public this coming weekend – click here for more details

 

Filed Under: Art Prints, Events Tagged With: ArtPad, Chris Mars, Chuck Sperry, Isabel Samaras, Jennybird Alcantara, Jessica Joslin, Mike Davis, Ransom & Mitchell, Varnish Fine Art

Latest News

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  • Sperry in Popland 2025 at KochxBos Gallery, Amsterdam
  • Chuck Sperry’s Alice Donut Poster
  • Chuck Sperry’s “The Mystic” & “Iphigenia” Blotters • 
Online Release with EQL
  • Available Now: Chuck Sperry’s Newest Protest Art Poster

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About Chuck Sperry

Chuck Sperry lives in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, where he’s made his particular style of rock poster designs for over 20 years. He operates Hangar 18, a silkscreen print studio, located in Oakland. Learn More…

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Sperry Books: “Color x Color” • “Helikon” • “Chthoneon” • “Idyllion”

Latest Blog Posts

  • Sperry Solo “Universal” Coming to Paris
  • Sperry in Popland 2025 at KochxBos Gallery, Amsterdam
  • Chuck Sperry’s Alice Donut Poster
  • Chuck Sperry’s “The Mystic” & “Iphigenia” Blotters • 
Online Release with EQL
  • Available Now: Chuck Sperry’s Newest Protest Art Poster

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