Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Contemporary Art: Zack Smith`s 1001 Nights @ Fredericks & Freiser

 

(Drivebycuriosity) - Contemporary Art is full of surprises. There is so much to discover. On my recent visit of Chelsea`s art galleries I saw @ Fredericks & Freiser an exhibition with paintings & drawings by Zack Smith, who was unknown to me. The show was called "1001 Nights".

 

Zack Smith is an American artist and adult film performer. According to Wikipedia "Smith's body of work primarily comprises portraits, drawings, and abstract art executed in acrylic and ink" (wikipedia). The artist also performs in pornographic movies under the pseudonym Zak Sabbath. He also directed "I Hit It With My Axe", a weekly video series featured at The Escapist website.

 

According to the press release the exhibition refers to "nights, nightmares and mental maps" and drew "inspiration from Persian miniature painting and the imagery of the what the Western world calls The Arabian Nights.... In the story, a wicked king rules his land with an iron fist, murdering wives each night. But one night, as he is drifting off to sleep, a new wife—Scheherezade—begins to tell him a story. Seeing the terrible king intrigued, she embeds within her story another and then another within that one and then another again and again, all layered and cliff-hangered such that each night instead of executing her, the king merely asked for her to continue the story".

 

I like the paintings & drawings. They are very elaborate and show a lot of skill & imagination. Many works a tiny, but contain lots of details. Therefore I show here some complete paintings and details of them.

On top of this post you can see "Bailey Jay" (2017, Ink on paper, 10h x 8w in) followed by "Girl in the Naked Girl Business: Annwn" (2017, Acrylic and ink on paper, 30 x 40 in) plus some detail shots & "In the Horror Light" (2017, Acrylic and ink on paper, 10h x 8w in).
Above this paragraph you can see "Ashley Went Viral" (2018, Acrylic and ink on paper, 10h x 8w in) and a detail of it.


 

Above "Stoya (As Werewolf)" (2017, Acrylic and ink on paper, 10h x 8w in) plus a detail. Followed by "I Know You Put Alondra in That Tentacle Painting But Can I Be in the Next One?" (2017, Acrylic and ink on paper, 10h x 8w in).


Above "Michelle, Your Higher Power Can't Be GG Allin" (2018, Acrylic and ink on paper, 10h x 8w in) what ever that means.




 

Above "Fear Makes People Grab the Nearest Weapon and Stop Moving" (2017, Acrylic and ink on paper, 10h x 8w in) followed by "Foetal God" (2017, Acrylic and ink on paper, 10h x 8 1/2w in).



 

Above some more paintings



 

Above "Who Is Awake This Late, Dreaming the City?" (2018, Acrylic and ink on paper, 10h x 8w in)



 Above "Eliza as a Succubus" (2018, Acrylic and ink on artist board, 10h x 8w in)


To be continued

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