The Colorful Apocalypses of Clive Barker
Artifacts / 1/14/2008 3:19:38 PM
Welcome back our guest writer Jude W. Mire who started 2008 off right with a Chicago book signing of Mr. B.Gone and was treated with an impromptu sketch in his copy of The Hellbound Heart by the awesome Clive Barker while surrounded by his bold and disturbing visions. I was lucky enough to tag along (see last picture below)!
In his time, Clive Barker
has brought us a vast array of visions to delight at and shudder
upon. Most of us are familiar with his work from the blood soaked
pages of novels or the frights he splashed across the big screen. He
is well known for a chilling blend of sexuality and terror,
wonderment and danger. His works, in any medium, are at heart a
double edged blade that simultaneously attracts and disturbs. There
is darkness in all his beauty, and light in all his evil. His most
recent gallery show, presented by the
Packer Schopf Gallery
in Chicago, is no exception.
Apocalypses; Paintings and Works on Paper, is, not
surprisingly, permeated with the vast emotional range and tone of
Clive's other work, but never before have I seen his vistas so big
and colorful! Here, his trademark dichotomy is less thematic and
more visual. Images of destruction and other oddities are painted in
exuberant bright hues and a wild, almost frenzied, energetic style.
These are the bright shades of happy paintings carried skillfully
into places they've never before traveled.
The thick paint bubbles
up off the canvas, scratched and swooped into arcs and shapes that
cause the images to practically churn with movement. Strange
characters, lonely vistas, and fantastical visions abound. To
counterpoint the massive canvas', the gallery is also displaying
more minimalist line-art and sketch pieces. The effect only further
expands the range of the show and the two techniques work to enhance
each other in thematic unity with stylistic juxtaposition.
Clive himself was at the gallery yesterday, promoting the show and
signing copies of his most recent novel, Mister B.Gone
(review coming soon!). Despite being hoarse and fending off a cold,
he lived up to his reputation of truly enjoying the company of his
fans and spent several hours chatting, signing/sketching in books,
and smiling for pictures. A remarkable feat considering his poor raw
voice!
While the upper floor of the gallery is currently housing the
Apocalypses show, I was happy to discover that they are
simultaneously running a second thematically paired show on their
lower level, Ron Bell's; Apparatus. A range of strange
scientific looking sculptures housing tiny animal skulls. They
instantly evoke a feeling of forbidden experimentation and reminded
me of something a 1920’s mad scientist would concoct. Brass tubing,
hoses, dials, mirrors, and bits of bone. A delightful surprise!
Apocalypses and Apparatus are both running at the
Packer Schopf Gallery through February 16th and the work is
available for purchase and viewing. If you can't make the Chicago
gallery, Clive's next showing will be held in New York at the
Sloan Fine Art Gallery
from April 16 to May 10. For further information on future shows and
pieces Bert Green Fine Art,
homed in L.A., is the place to watch as they represent all of
Clive's artwork.
So, come out to see Clive Barker's great (but not so secret) show!
Jude W. Mire
Jude with Clive and Jill at the book signing!
Jill's p.s. You can buy many of Clive Barker's books and films at our Killer-works
Store. And feel
free to contact Jude at his Killer-works
email. I hear he can
squeeze in email breaks in between reading Mr. B. Gone and
looking for a big screen to master Bioshock on!
