The Outsiders Show

Look familiar? It's my "Horny Deer" painting I did for this tutorial.

Earlier this month I was featured in a local underground art show called The Outsiders! It was a wonderful little art fest that lasted a week and included a different event every day. I love shows like this- the variety of artistry and talent really brings the entire creative community together. It mainly focused on getting exposure to up-and-coming artists (AKA "Outsiders") as opposed to seasoned art show veterans. Anyone who was brave enough to submit pieces was allowed to show their work- this brought a lot of fresh faces out of the wood work for their first ever art showing. There was also a number of live performances from bands of a variety of different styles, with everything from a David Bowie cover band to Middle Eastern flute playing.

It was a great lineup that proved to be a very unique artistic experience. My favorite event by far was opening night, where everyone was given the opportunity to take up paintbrushes for a massively interactive painting fest. Dozens of wooden palettes and doors were available for anyone to make their mark on. The energy was very cool and inspiring- there were tons of creative minds all working together on a single task at once.

Me amongst the crowd painting my little corner while a live band played in the background. Not one of my most glamorous looks (it was very hot in the building) but I was happy to contribute to this awesome interactive artwork anyways.

All the best local artists came out to paint that night, including my friend Erin and my cousin Ederick. I loved seeing all the different styles that people painted in.

Speaking of interesting styles, there was a lot of really intriguing work in "The Outsiders." I was amazed by the amount of talent that had previously been undiscovered. Here's some of my favorite pieces I spied during the show. By the way, all the photography was either taken by Eye Ball Art or Katherine Wooton. Thanks for getting some really getting nice shots of the art!

The works submitted by Steve Delong were especially fascinating because I could never figure out exactly what medium they were. Apparently, this effect was achieved by changing the color of metal with chemical solutions. Pictures can't really show how beautiful and shiny this piece is in real life. Never seen anything like it before!

Nina Rego made these gorgeous paper maiche figures. I would really love to pick this artist's brain, she seems like quite the character. About this piece, she said: "Hunger in Darfur never looked so colorful."

It's an artwork by me that this blog has never seen before! It's a modernized copy of Ralph Steadman's "Aspen Nights" I did for an assignment in school.

One of the walls with all the artwork hung on it.

I see you,  Skeleton Man! He eerily stares at viewers from behind band equipment. I submitted 6 artworks to the show in total, including a few familiar faces.

I love birds, especially when they're made completely out of buttons.

Another sculpture by the same artist, Crystal King. This was the first time her work was ever seen in a gallery, and she had some of the most engaging pieces in the show.

Check out this incredible hand made clock by Dan Diehl! It is constructed completely out of wood, except for a small motor that winds the clock, and it's 100% functional. Very old school.. just imagine how precisely the gears have to be cut out in order for everything to work right.

I wish I knew the whole story behind this wicked neon lights shark. I suspect it's made out of recycled materials? All I know for sure is that the artist's name is Eric ElectricDirt...(Cool name, man)

Since we're on the subject of recycled materials, I definitely should mention this series of odd skeletal figurines by Tony Prete. As the story goes,  he was instructed by his employers to take some lead to a landfill, but instead he melted it down to make these eerie sculptures. I am told that the glass enclosures were also rescued from being thrown away. This guy has great taste when it comes to "trash!"

One of my favorite artworks I've ever done, and I haven't even really documented it on this blog yet. You will hear more about this piece one day soon, I promise!

Above is work by the very popular Tim Showers, who is a regular in the Charleston art circuit. He shares a wall with a very shy artist who is showing her artwork to the world for the first time. I think that this is symbolic of "The Outsiders" show's ability to bring a colorful variety of people together for the simple purpose of celebrating art.

Phil Hyman in his natural habitat- spray paint and intricate stenciling work.

Lastly, I have to mention that all of this was organized by this awesome artist and curator named Phil Hyman. He does almost all the cool shows in the Charleston area. If you're in the historical downtown district of South Carolina and see a quirky collection of local bohemian art, chances are it was because this guy made it happen. I am grateful for people like him because it isn't an easy thing to run an art show, despite the fact that they're completely vital to keeping the art community alive around here. I just wanted to shout Phil out to let him know that his dedication to bringing art to the masses really does make a difference in many artist's lives. Thanks man, it was an awesome experience.  (And make sure to like him on Facebook!)


UPDATE: I've participated in another show by Phil! Check out the new art here.