Chuck Sperry

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“Know Thyself” Art Print by Sperry at “Hi-Fructose Presents: The Art of The Mushroom” Group Show

Know Thyself, 2018
19 x 25.5
Edition of 100
4 colors on cream paper
Signed and Numbered

I was blessed to have visited Delphi – the navel of the earth – on the autumnal equinox this last month. Delphi is the site of a major temple to Apollo, as well as the famous oracle. Carved into the temple was the phrase: γνῶθι σεαυτόν – [gnōthi seautón] – “know thyself.” Ancient wisdom fitting seamlessly with the illuminating psychedelic influence of the mushroom, my printing-fingers got to work!

This poster will be available at The Compound Gallery at the opening for “Hi-Fructose Presents: The Art of The Mushroom” on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 7 pm.

Hi-Fructose Presents: The Art of The Mushroom
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 20th 7-10pm

The Compound Gallery
1167 65th St, Oakland, California 94608

Show Dates: October 20-December 9, 2018

This special show is an exploration into artists’ interpretations of the friendly, deadly, tasty, hallucinogenic, phallic, alien, and legendary mushroom.

Opening Reception featuring an interactive photo booth by Attaboy. So be Red Carpet Ready! Many artists will be in attendance at the opening. More information coming soon.

To receive a collector’s preview of works made specifically for this show contact: info@thecompoundgallery.com

Featuring work by: Andrew Schoultz, Naoto Hattori, Chuck Sperry, Annie Owens, Steven Cerio, Marion Peck, Mark Ryden, Travis Louie, Travis Lampe, Attaboy, Isabel Samaras, Michael Campbell, Martin Ontiveros, Gary Taxali, Michael Reedy, Nicomi Nix Turner, Mark Dean Veca, Ferris Plock, Jennybird Alcantara , Yoko d’holbachie, Skinner, Ellen Jewett, Brandi Milne, Marco Mazzoni, Kii Arens, Graham Yarrington, Erika Sanada, Junko Mizuno, Renee French, Crystal Morey, Smithe, Scott Musgrove, Charlie Immer, Horrible Adorables, Laura Berger, Christophe Gilland, Casey Weldon, Wayshak, KRK Ryden, John Casey, Dave cooper, Rob Sato, Joe Vaux, Dave Correa, Robert Bowen, Tripper, Bwana Spoons, Gosia, Miles Johnston, Christina Mrozik, Matt Gordon, Alex Pardee, Tristan Eaton, Johnny KMNDZ Rodriguez

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“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
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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
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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

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“Aeon” by Sperry in “Universe: The Art of Existence”

AEON-SPERRY-WEB

Aeon, 2014
16 x 20
Edition of 10
7 color screen printed on white oak (framed)
Signed and Numbered (inside the image)

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A limited number of this edition of oak panels will be available through Modern Eden Gallery from April 12 until May 3, 2014.

Michael Cuffe (founder of the contemporary arts site Warholian) is curating an excellent group show at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco. I’m very happy to announce I’m invited to take part.

My piece is called “Aeon” which has many meanings: life, being, age, forever, eternity, and in scientific cosmology refers to the cyclical period between Big Bangs. Plato used the word to refer to the eternal world of ideas. I like to think that the Universe is only matched by our capacity to imagine.

Opening Reception: Saturday April 12, 2014 6-10 pm
Exhibition Dates: April 12 – May 3, 2014

UNIVERSE: Art of Existence will bring together artists from San Francisco and beyond on the subject of space, the cosmos, galaxies, celestial bodies, planets, stars, etc. I also welcome the larger outer paradigm of the Universe to relate to things of an atomic scale such as elements of quantum physics, atoms, energy streams, etc. in the art works if the artist chooses. There are many ways an artist can create with the Universe subject matter. I want every artist to feel free to choose to be direct with their work, or to think outside of the box if they choose – the Universe itself is both an outer and inner world.

A fun fact about this exhibition is that it is being put together under a short time frame. I’m looking for fresh work, and new inspiring artistic ideas.  I’m hoping to see the artists really flow their best creative energy into this project – and see it as a joint effort – to be part of an exhibition that is also an experiment in creativity. It’s my belief, that after seeing so many bodies of work produced by a broad range of successful artists, that many works come together best under a deadline. It’s inspiring to realize the powerful potential of artists, and it’s so much more fun to see a large exhibition created in a short time frame!  Especially from such a talented group!

Featuring: Rick Berry, Trevor Young, Casey Gray, Charmaine Olivia, Mab Graves, John Wentz, Christina Mrozik, Jaclyn Alderete, Brenton Bostwick, Leilani Bustamante, Alec Huxley, Lyrica Glory, Meryl Pataky, Michael Cuffe, Steve Javiel, Melissa Morgan, Bradley Platz, Daniel J. Valadez, Helice Wen, Steve Hughes, Olivia Chen, Syd Bee, Cory Benhatzel, Chris Blackstock, Joshua Coffy, Ryan De La Hoz, Carly Ivan Garcia, Jane Kenoyer, Jake Kobrin, Hugh Leeman, Leon Loucheur, Johannah O’ Donnell, Rich Pellegrino, Jena Rockwood, Eve Skylar, Adam Caldwell, Michael Page, David Natale, Chuck Sperry, Xiau-Fong Wee, Adam Ziskie, Melissa Hartley, Marcos Lafarga, Lee Harvey Roswell, Allison “Hueman” Torneros, C3 – Christopher Charles Curtis, Martin Stensaas, David Marc Grant, Robert Bowen, Wendy Gadzuk, Andrea McLeod, Holly Matthews, Erik Flores, Donia, Amy Mastrine, Kaitlin Beckett, Lisa Kurt, Gemma Bayly, Penelope Moore, Peter Chan, Dave MacDowell, Scott Listfield, and a special online video performance art piece from Sarah Muehlbauer.

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“Heathen Child” Painting

Heathen Child painting by Chuck Sperry, 2011

I’m still riffing on the ideas that opened up when creating the SFMOMA Window Gallery installation. How to synthesize painting with silkscreen printing? What about a rock image makes a great painting? How can the processes of silkscreen printing, especially the layering effects, be brought off as a painting?

I brought some elements of the Window installation painting, “Saint Everyone,” to my new painting, “Heathen Child.” I’m working from a rock poster palette and from rock poster imagery. The Ginderman poster was the basis for the imagery of “Heathen Child,” but I wanted to take this in a new direction with materials and technique.

I used my circle patterns and carefully silkscreened a wide selection of patterns in different sizes in heavy metallic blue silver with green tinting on very delicate japanese printing paper. I was sure this would make a wonderful color for the background of the painting, layer nicely and become embedded in the surface of the canvas.

I laid a thick layer of cadmium red for the figure and flowers. This was modeled – shaded and highlighted – with many glazes of fluorescent red and orange to build up the surface and form. I brushed in shadows of cadmium and knocked those back with subsequent glaze layers of fluorescent. I needed the final edge color to be intense enough to eye-fry when the blue line was brushed on at the end. But wanted the shadow effects to translate in the finished art.

The lava forms were built up with fluorescent push-pull with cadmium, but the difference there was to build up a highlighted finish with pearl lustre. There is an pearlescent finish on the lava forms.

After the red areas were treated I put the background. Each circle was carefully cut out and then puzzled right to the edge of the red figure. I used gloss gel medium for under the paper surface and liquid gloss medium brushed over the paper surface.

Cobalt and permanent green for the foliage over the layered paper at the foreground.

Then when the brush and stars aligned – I finished the figure with blue eye-fry paint – first-stroke best stroke style – breathing deeply and making gestural strokes until it was finished with a very nice worked-in brush.

Like “Saint Everyone” – “Heathen Child” is a painting exploring direct religious experience in a psychedelic key of fluorescent, and perhaps a little more pagan or pantheistic in scope. Here’s some details (click to see larger):

Heathen Child, 2011

Acrylic and applique on canvas

24 x 26

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Heathen Child is available through Varnish Fine Art Gallery, 16 Jesse Street, San Francisco.

I’m really happy to see Jen Rogers and Kerri Stephens have brought Varnish Fine Art back to life and have such cool new digs for shows!

Varnish Fine Art Relaunch Part I

September 24 – through – November 5, 2011

group show with: Chris Mars, Robert Williams, Jennybird Alcantara, Laurie Lipton, Isabel Samaris, Scott Musgrove, Annie Owens, Craig LaRotonda, Nathan Spoor, Chuck Sperry, Kevin Peterson, Beth Bojarski, Edith Lebeau, Aunia Kahn, Ciou, Robert Bowen, Sri Zeno Whipple, Winston Smith, Kevin Evans, Dylan Sisson, Skot Olsen

 

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