Modern Eden Gallery is pleased to announce The Grotesque, a group exhibition in the style of grotesques in which natural forms and monstrous figures are intertwined in bizarre or fanciful combinations. The grotesque has a long legacy in the chronicles of art history. The philosophical ideas of Plato and Plotinus on horror versus beauty in the classical era inspired a resurgence in grotesque drawing and painting during the Renaissance.
Directly influenced by Dante’s Inferno and his particular vision of hell, many artists began considering the verso of surface level beauty. By measuring the depths of ugliness and horror through painting, artists of all ages like Leonardo da Vinci, Gustave Dore, Francisco Goya, Hieronymus Bosch, Edvard Munch, Otto Dix and more have discovered that the strength of the grotesque art form lies in it’s ability to measure beauty. (Modern Eden press release)
The Embers & Revelations artwork originally featured on an album cover for the canadian band, Weapon, for their 2012 release on Relapse Records.
In the background is the ‘Kalachakra’. Fate's wheel. Ever revolving, ever turning, and in the process, succumbing to entropy and decay. The apex predators flank the Kalachakra as guardians, adversaries, and heraldic totems. The horned schädel may be regarded as an evocation, a trophy, and a memorial all at once. It indicates the rudimentary structure of man as both beast and conscious vessel, the red eye of extraordinary perception being emblazoned on the Ajna chakra – seeing beyond seeing. The crown is an allusion to the song, ‘Shahenshah’ – the King of all Kings. The snakes insinuate divine gnosis through venomous initiation. Their tenacious coils evoke the grip of Noghogg, the serpent from nordic myth who gnaws as the foundation of the world. (Vierling. HH interview)
Interested collectors please contact the Modern Eden Gallery.
The opening reception will be held at Modern Eden Gallery on Saturday, March 8th from 6-10pm. Select featured group show artists will be in attendance at the reception. The exhibition will be on display through March 22, 2014 and is free and open to the public.
Modern Eden Gallery
403 Francisco Street @ Powell Street | San Francisco, CA
Regular Gallery Hours: 10am - 6pm Tuesday - Saturday
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