Kapok Gallery Space
Sat-May 5
To find the artists for Sleepover Psychedelia, curators Samantha Culp and Adrian Wong didn't go through traditional channels by attending gallery exhibitions or reading magazines. They found US artists Brian Chippendale, Thomas Galloway, Matt Lock, Brent Wadden and Devon Varmega through their personal blogs.
The exhibition of drawings, paintings, T-shirts, sculptures and installation reveals a different side of suburban American culture - not 'Tom Cruise or McDonald's', says Culp.
The art emerged from the DIY movement and is typically found in so-called fanzines (homemade, often photocopied, magazines made with limited resources), independent music album covers and blogs. 'The works have an aesthetic language which is intentionally messy, surrealist and without following any real narratives,' says Culp.
The most established artist of the bunch is Chippendale, co-founder of the Fort Thunder art collective on Rhode Island. He's a member of punk band Lightning Bolt, and 'his art is connected to his band,' Culp says. 'The music is harsh, abrasive and influenced by a spontaneity and chaos.' His untitled painting incorporates a frenzied movement of green grass and dots in the sky, while an alien offers a 'hello'.