Giant Robot New York
437 East 9th Street, 212-674-GRNY
East Village / Lower East Side
June 21 - July 16, 2008
Reception: Saturday, June 21, 6:30 - 10 PM
Web Site
Giant Robot is proud to present Mossy & Glossy, a group show featuring new works by artists from the Pacific Northwest with excellent nicknames: Justin “Scrappers” Morrison, Candi “Snaggs” Hibert, and Mike “Le Merde” Kelly.
The art of Scrappers reflects the outdoorsy environment of Portland, OR and his new pieces will preview his upcoming book about a logging crew, feral scouts, beards, and mushrooms. Art mediums include reused house paint and salvaged wood. When Scrappers isn’t running the Grass Hut art collective, gallery, and shop with fellow artist Bwana Spoons, he works at the Wieden+Kennedy advertising agency. Seattle-based Snaggs was inspired by stuffed Nauga Monsters from the ‘60s to become a felt artist. Her rainbow-colored body of work, which includes “paintings,” dolls, and pillows, has a retro modern style that combines the handmade quality of craft with the sensibility of clean design. Included in her new pieces are felt depictions of the “Bikini Bandito,” a fun-loving monster that steals bikini tops off unsuspecting sunbathers.
Le Merde has gained a rabid following in the limited-edition figure scene with his molten and oozing but cute style. Often lost in the shadows of his sculptural work is the Portland artist’s equally colorful paintings, which also reference a loving appreciation of underground comix, Japanese horror manga, and rock ‘n’ roll. For this show, the member of the Grass Hut art collective of will be supplying 30 hand-painted resin pieces.