Saturday opening at Mercurial Gallery in Danbury

The Mercurial Gallery
11 Library Pl., Danbury, (203) 417-2215
Crown of Clowns
Nov. 7—Dec. 14, 2012.
Opening Reception: Sat., Nov. 10, 7—9 p.m.
Artist talk Wed., Nov. 21, 6 p.m.
Music performance by Ben Simon Sat., Dec. 8, 7 p.m.

Press release from Mercurial Gallery

Crown of Clowns, a tag team, artistic extravaganza by illustrative painters Andrew Werner and Jeff Buckholz, will be underway at The Mercurial Gallery in downtown Danbury, Connecticut from Nov. 7 through Dec. 14. The gallery and artists welcome you into an archaic abyss that would knock the cigarette filter from Hunter S. Thompson’s lips were he with us today. Werner and Buckholz’s illustrations will lead you into a world of emotion, narrative, and psychedelia that will, without a doubt, incite deep notions of wonder and excitement. Both artists’ originality complement their shared love for immediacy and line.

An opening reception for Crown of Clowns will take place at the gallery on Sat., Nov. 10 from 7—9 p.m., and the exhibit will open to the public during regular gallery hours starting at 11 a.m. on Wed., Nov. 7. An artist talk will take place mid-exhibit on Wed., Nov. 21 at 6 p.m., and Ben Simon, a Brooklyn-based musician who makes his own guitars stocked with keyboards, drum machines, and even microphones will perform at Crown of Clowns on Sat., Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.

Werner, a 24-year-old Bridgeport resident who attended New York's School of Visual Arts, melted out of the comic book realm and soon reconstituted himself in the world of fine art. Working primarily in acrylic, oil, and ink, his illustrations can be described as a demented, dark comedy with emphasis on the human form—or at least parts of it. Many of his pieces contain floating body parts, which take on a personality of their own. Werner's previous shows include exhibitions at Zoe & Floyd in Seymour and Brouwerig Lane in Brooklyn, New York.

Andrew Werner: "Oh, Hey Man

"Much like vomiting, art has always been an involuntary bodily function to me," writes Werner in his artist statement, "a necessary, though often times incredibly unpleasant daily process I must perform in order to feel like a functional human being. The bulk of my imagery is derived from the unconscious. I believe this to be the ideal method of exposing man’s unquantifiable inner workings. I hope that this fact enables people to find something in my output which will resonate and mean something to them on a personal level. Art’s importance to me has always stemmed from the therapeutic quality of releasing oneself onto paper; so I hope [viewers] enjoy looking at spiritual ejaculate."

Buckholz, a 26-year-old residing in Seymour, studied fine art and painting at Danbury's Western Connecticut State University (WestConn) and is currently pursuing graphic and web design at Norwalk Community College. His work acts as a black hole, pulling viewers into a different dimension with adept work in acrylic, oil, watercolor, and digital techniques. Buckholz has a nomadic state of mind that directly translates to his bold and visceral illustrations. His work has been featured at the Artist's Nest in Bridgeport, Greenwich Workshop in Seymour, and at WestConn.

"I define art as anything that can be taken in by the senses to stir up profound emotion," he writes in his artist statement. "I collage imagery and use free association and symbolism to relay human ideas and experiences. I document my life combined with my emotions or sometimes my emotions alone. Through this method, I attempt to reach the universal through the particular."

The Nov. 10 opening reception for Crown of Clowns will include an artist meet and greet, hors d’ouvres, and refreshments from 7 to 9 p.m. An artist talk will take place on Wed., Nov. 21 at 6 p.m., and an accompanying music performance by Brooklyn musician and electro-luthier Ben Simon will take place at the gallery on Sat., Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.