On Saturday, December 12th Pale Horse Gallery presents “Gods & Monsters”, a new two-man art show with Pale Horse and Allen Hampton, featuring new works inspired by mythology, religion, folklore and popular culture. Wow, that’s a mouthful. Well, we had a chance to catch up with Chris Parks, founder of Pale Horse, while he was putting the finishing touches on the new exhibit so we could get his mouthful on the show, Allen Hampton, Pale Horse, and the movie Twilight.
REAX: Tell us a little about the Gods & Monsters concept for the new Pale Horse exhibit and how you and Allen Hampton got together on it.
CP: The show’s theme is based on mythology, religion and other beliefs held by various cultures around the globe. Allen and I agreed that the stories and characters were dripping with inspiration and would make for an incredibly rich collection of work.
When I decided it was finally time to show a large collection of my work here at Pale Horse, I knew I wanted to work with Allen right away. His work is so unique and even though it’s completely different than mine stylistically, our techniques displayed together make for a really killer mix.
CHECK THE REAX SNEAK PEAK!
REAX: We here at REAX are pretty familiar with you and your artwork. Hell, you've done more covers than anyone else. Tell our readers a little about what you've been up to lately artistically or something we may not already know about you.
CP: Lately I’ve been creating tons of illustrations and graphics for various apparel companies, bands, skateboards and surf brands. One killer project I finished recently is a custom Dean guitar for the ‘Six String Masterpieces’ exhibit. I am honored to show my work alongside the amazing lineup of artists and musicians in that exhibit & auction for charity.
Another fun project I got to work on that you may not have seen are my monster series of women’s platform shoes for Iron Fist.
Women’s platform shoes for Iron Fist
DEAN Guitars
http://www.deanguitars.com/sixstringmp/
REAX: Can you introduce our readers to Allen Hampton, and give us your top five things about Allen that we should know?
Pic: Allen Hampton
CP: Allen Hampton is based out of Tampa and initially established himself as a graffiti artist. His skills with an aerosol can are what initially drew me to his work, but I was surprised to see that he also works in mediums ranging from sculpture and installation to acrylic paint and tattooed fetal pigs. Allen’s graffiti name is ‘Leper’ and he is the only street artist I know that listens to death metal. In this exhibit, Allen is focusing on large drawings inked in pig’s blood. His blood drawings are painstakingly constructed with tedious detail and layers of incredible depth. Allen also has a Master's Degree in Fine Art so, in other words, he’s no joke. Is that five?
Check out his work: http://allenhampton.net/
REAX: I hear you and Allen have been working on a mural. Can you give us a sneak on this?
CP: Yes. I am super excited about this collab! We are creating an 8x9 ft. aerosol and die-cut vinyl mural of the mythological creature Medusa. I’ve done a few big, vinyl installation pieces in the past and thought it would be an epic way to mix my graphic style with Allen’s beautiful, realistic portrait work.
REAX: What do you think Hanuman would say if he attended the show?
CP: Hanuman is a monkey and I wouldn’t be able to understand him. I do have a Hanuman ‘leader of the monkey army’ leg sleeve tattoo, so I’d probably show him that and see if he likes it or kills me for getting his features wrong.
REAX: What do you expect from the crowd attending the show?
CP: There will be a lot to look at and take in at this show. I’m hoping that the attendees will spend some time with the artwork and be inspired or offended or excited about what they see. Chances are there will be some of that going on, but I’ll bet a lot of them will just come for the free booze.
REAX: You've been throwing art shows since 2006. What have you learned from past shows, and how have things changed?
CP: The goal behind the gallery has always been to introduce and mix top artists from all over the globe with the best talent in the Sunshine State - free of charge. Each exhibit has been specifically curated with artists that we are excited about and want to share with Tampa Bay. The loyal attendees and new faces that pack into our small space have been extremely encouraging. I hope that, in a small way over the years, we have helped put St. Pete on the map and added fuel to the art scene that continues to grow every year.
We’ve learned how much it costs and how much work really goes into the planning of the openings. It’s no small feat and it takes the help of everyone we can think of to pull it off sometimes. Of course, the economy sucks these days and sales have been down, but we’ve learned to adapt and make available smaller prints, artist products and events like ‘Back in Black’ that feature affordable t-shirt art, printed on-site during the exhibit.
Check it Here! http://backinblackapparel.com/
REAX: What does the future hold for Pale Horse "The Gallery"?
CP: You’ve probably noticed that we’ve been hosting less and less shows this past year. Hopefully we’ve made up for quantity with quality and we always strive to top the last exhibit with what’s next. Right now there are no events on the radar after Gods & Monsters. Not saying for sure that this will be our last show, but it’s always a possibility. Art shows take a lot of money and resources and I’m waiting to be inspired by another new idea.
REAX: Ok, enough about the show... Let's get some more gooey facts from you.
What music are you listening to right now? Is anything really inspiring you old or new?
CP: Been really into stoner rock, doom metal and epic instrumental bands lately. Some new stuff for me would be: Amen Ra, Bloody Panda, Explosions in the Sky and This will Destroy You. Some regulars have been: Big Business, Torche, Mastodon, Neurosis, EyeHateGod, Witchcraft, The Sword and Baroness.
When I’m feeling like a pussy and not listing to metal I’ll go with: David Bazan, Cursive, MGMT, the new Eminem (Yep, I said Eminem) and Dinosaur Jr. My new thing is listening to non-fiction audio books when I work like: The God Delusion, The Greatest Show on Earth and Reefer Madness.
REAX: If you could show your art anywhere, where would it be?
CP: On a submarine.
REAX: Any plans for the next Back in Black?
CP: Nope, not in the crystal ball for now, but you never know.
REAX: Who would win in a fight, you or Hydro 74?
CP: You always bet on yourself when going into a fight.
REAX: Black Licorice or Twizzlers?
CP: You know what they say. If it ain’t black it's whack.
REAX: Did you go see the new Twilight movie?
CP: Ha! Nope. If I wanna see a ripped, hot dude wearing all black, I just look in the mirror. Ok, not really but whatever.
The Gods & Monsters exhibit will be on display until Saturday, December 19th during regular gallery hrs. T-shirts and prints will also be available online after the opening.
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