lowdown on lowbrow

Art Exhibit and Release Party for The LOWDOWN ON LOWBROW: Art Up from the Underground, a documentary by Marcus Rogers with Artwork and Prints by Robt. Williams, The Pizz, SHAG, Anthony Ausgang, Lisa Petrucci, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, NIAGARA, I,Braineater, 12 Midnite, Dirty Donny, and The PopTarts


Opening Friday January 26 at 7pm
Runs Jan 23-Feb 4
at the JEM Gallery-225 E. Broadway ,Vancouver BC
www.myspace.com/thejemgallery


The "Lowdown On Lowbrow" is a 1-hour art documentary produced by Fountain Productions chronicling the evolution of the "lowbrow" genre and style including the relatively recent emergence of female artists at the
forefront of the movement.

As pop culture, surf, music, films and the mechanized culture of the hotrod begins to permeate the mass subconscious, so does the popularity and accessibility of "Pop" or "Lowbrow" style artwork. Bold, sexy, vibrant, and bright, much of the work of the "Lowbrow" artists juxtaposes the unlikely yet familiar elements of popular culture together in startling new compositions.

As the fine art world shuffles stuffily along, with it academic intellectual justifications as to why a piece of work is or is not "art", Lowbrow comes along with it's bold images, color, and sex and grabs its fans in a visceral grip. Now in its 3rd decade, a new generation of Lowbrow artists is emerging from behind the flame jobs and tiki heads.

Working in a wide variety of styles, and largely resentful of being classified at all, Lowbrow artists are creating work in the most innovative ways possible and fighting to claim their rightful place in the history of western art.

The "LOWDOWN on LOWBROW" features interviews with artists Robt. Williams, The Pizz, SHAG, Anthony Ausgang, Isabel Samaras, Lisa Petrucci, Dirty Donny, I,Braineater (aka Jim Cummins), 12 Midnite, The PopTarts (Nicole Steen & Vicki M), Sunny Buick, and curators/gallerists Doug Nason (Copro Nason), Billy Shire(La Luz de Jesus,Billy Shire Fine Arts), Justin Giarla (Shooting Gallery,9mm Books ), Jay Nailor (M Modern Gallery), author Sherri Cullison, publisher Ron Turner, editors Annie Tucker(Juxtapoz), and Mike Lavella (Gearhead), and artwork by artists listed previously as well as Mark Ryden, NIAGARA, Tim Biskup, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Von Dutch, Robert Crumb, Rick Griffin, Alan Forbes, Gary Panter, COOP, Jim Phillips, Dave Cooper, Kalynn Campbell, Suzanne Williams, David Ostrem, ManWoman, Johnny Crap, Pilar Alvarez, Holly Ruth Anderson, Colin Upton, Makato, Sandow Birk, Bob Masse, Stanley Mouse, Von Franco, Rot N Hell and more!

The documentary is scheduled to air on BRAVO TV Canada on Sunday January 7 at 5pm.
www.myspace.com/lowdownonlowbrow
a trailer is up onthe site.