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Janaury Issue 2008
Green Rice Gallery in Charlotte, NC, Offers Exhibit by Pop Artists
A fun exhibition, entitled Launch Party
hosted by Green Rice Gallery in Charlotte, NC, featuring Pop artists
Jarrod Eastman, Brandon Reese, Rik Catlow, and Keeley Carrigan,
opens Jan. 4 and continues through Jan. 26, 2008.
Jarrod Eastman
Self-taught Arizona artist Jarrod Eastman started
painting in early 1990s. His influences include the nascent
pop surrealism movement, the music of bands such as Janes Addiction,
and the writings of Charles Bukowski. He attempts to communicate
his imagination through images. Eastman says, "He feels
a great connectedness to the energy that embodies creativity. It
is through this energy that my work pervades a sense of possibility
and imagination." His work has been shaped and reshaped by
various subcultures ranging from skateboarding and hip-hop music
to a life style centered in the mountains of Arizona.
Rik Catlow
Also included in the exhibit is Charlotte resident Rik Catlow's urban Pop art. Each piece of his artwork is a stream of unrelated images that form one unified composition. Using found objects like discarded beverage cans, old magazines, and tickets as a canvas, gives his work an organic quality and a sense of whimsy. Catlow says, "I seek to create an image that makes you feel like you're on a city street being bombarded with advertisements, street signs, and discarded paper." He also sees a thin-line between tragedy and comedy and this is pervasive in his works. Before moving to Charlotte, Catlow worked as web designer and won an American Graphic Design Award for his work on (www.rocktropolis.com). He spent much of his childhood in New Jersey just outside of Manhattan and studied at The School of Visual Arts in New York City. His past life in New York is evident in his works.
Brandon Reese
Charlotte artist and illustrator Brandon Reese is also showing his recent Pop art work at Green Rice Gallery. His colorful works are fun, usually light, and jump off the page. Reese graduated with a degree in visual communications from the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. He currently is art director of a small children's magazine, but illustrating is his passion. His illustrations have been featured in Highlights and Nick Magazine and he's illustrated several board books for High Reach Learning.
Keeley Carrigan
And joining the others in this exhibit are
the Pop art works of Keeley Carrigan. He was born and raised
in Florida where he developed an early love of drawing. Carrigan
remembers his childhood fondly and uses his happy memories to
inspire his artwork. He explains, "I believe my experiences
as a child affect my art heavily and the themes that all little
boys are drawn to still fascinate me." Carrigan uses
his art to allow the little boy in him to stay alive and tries
to remind each viewer of the child that is alive within. Carrigan
completed the graphic design program at Central Piedmont Community
College and began trying to figure out where his place was in
the art world. A couple of years later, several gallery exhibits
under his belt, as well as few comic conventions, and a semester
at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte has brought him
to where he is today.
For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings,
call 704/344-0300 or visit (www.green-rice.com).
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