Comic Book Idol Fred Harper and Tattoo Phenom Nick Baxter set to become fine art stars @ Last Rites Gallery!
On Saturday, February 6th at 7pm, NYC's Last Rites Gallery will open two solo exhibitions of new work from artists Fred Harper and Nick Baxter. For years Fred Harper has been a fanboy favorite for his artwork on such well known comic books as Conan, Doctor Strange and of course Spider-Man! At the same time, in an industry not all-together disconnected from the comic book world, Nick Baxter has become globally sought after by tattoo lovers of all kinds for his own unique brand of tattooing, employing fantastical imagery and a bright, almost neon-like color pallete. What many people do not know about these two incredibly talented artists, is that while the world has watched them sling ink on paper and skin over the past several years, the two have individually been devoting every free moment they have on painting. Harper's large, loose, darkly humorous depictions of female cyborgs and the like have a sickly sweet quality that both attack and embrace the viewer at the same time. Baxter, on the other hand, works on small surfaces in tight, intricate detail, made up of wet skin, gleaming blood and sharp metal objects throughout. Although there styles are vastly different, they share the same intense desire to show the fine art world what they can do when they're not rocking their respective industries.
Solo exhibitions of new work for both Fred Harper and Nick Baxter open on Saturday, February 6th, 7-11pm at Last Rites Gallery, 511 W. 33rd Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues (3 blocks from Penn Station), 3rd floor, New York, NY 10001. Show runs February 6th through February 28th, 2010. More info at www.lastritesgallery.com.
Last Rites Gallery is New York's only gallery of dark art. Having opened in April 2008, the gallery has received accolades from places as diverse as Inked Magazine, Tattoo Society, Juxtapoz, Hi Fructose, NY Post, and the Channel 11 Morning News. Last Rites was founded by legendary painter and tattooist Paul Booth, an artist who has devoted his life to the evolution of his craft. In the tattoo industry, after years of public appearances and numerous international awards, Paul Booth is now a household name. He has been featured on networks such as CNN, MSNBC, DISCOVERY, A&E, TLC, MTV and VH1. Due to the macabre nature of his style, Paul has tattooed many major metal bands. As a result, in 2002, Rolling Stone Magazine dubbed Paul "The new king of rock tattoos." There is currently a two-year waiting list for his work. All shows at Last Rites are curated by gallery director Andrew Michael Ford. Ford has been profiled, interviewed and/or quoted by The New York Times, Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Village Voice, Timeout NY, Juxtapoz and National Public Radio's "All Things Considered".
