"Deviant Pop" art exhibition
“Deviant Pop,” an invitational show of pop surrealism, or “underground” lowbrow art, is being exhibited in the Elmhurst Artists' Guild Gallery from December 1 through January 17. The unusual, often humorous and cartoon-like art is the product of five talented Chicago artists associated with OhNo!Doom, a Chicago artist collective made up of designers, illustrators and plush artists, all of whom work creative jobs during the week.
The opening reception is Friday, December 6, from 7pm to 9pm. It is free and open to the public. The EAG Gallery is located at the Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S. Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst, Illinois.
Lowbrow art, according to Wikipedia, describes an underground visual art movement that arose in the Los Angeles area in the late 1970s. It is a populist art movement with its cultural roots in underground comix, punk music, and hot-rod cultures of the street. It has a sense of humor, often being gleeful, impish, or sarcastic.
Four of the exhibitors are OhNo!Doom members. For Lana Crooks, plush has become her main focus, with her Octoplush series based on her attraction to cephalopods. Max Bare, who says he was brain-fed in Savannah, makes narrative mixed-media pieces filled with “paint, tapirs, bears, wood and love.”
Joey Potts works with a wide variety of media to create illustrations, animations, graphic prints and collage. With 13 years of design experience, seven of them designing mobiles, Andrew Thompson now designs fulltime for Roundarch Isobar in Chicago.
Shawn Smith, the fifth exhibitor, is the originator of “Shawnimals,” a line of character-branded simple handmade plush toys, based on designs from Smith's own sketchbooks,
The EAG gallery is open to the public during regular Museum hours, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10am to 5pm, Friday from 10am to 8pm and Sunday from noon to 5. Friday is the Museum's free admission day. At other times, admission for adults is $5, seniors and students $3, and children under 5, free.
The EAG gallery is not-for-profit, operated by the Elmhurst Artists' Guild. It features original contemporary artworks in a variety of styles and media. Each year it hosts several group shows featuring the artwork of Guild members, an invitational show for a significant local artist, and the National Art Premiere, a nationwide juried group show. Exhibits are partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. More information is available at elmhurstartistsguild.org,