As part of a regular series I aim to identify unlikely places around the city where you can see art, both intentional and otherwise. This week I offer you a shopping/dinner outing that involves a soupçon of gay-made art on the side.
I’ve known about the series of photorealistic paintings by E. Gibbons for a while. About a dozen of them are being displayed at House.Boi in Hillcrest until the end of July. Like many I was surprised to learn that the series of trompe l’oeil paintings depicting various men scrunched into boxes were not photographs. When they are reproduced in print these monochromatic images look uncannily film based; less so in person.
The 30″x30″ paintings are apparently part of a series of 100, with only about 37 created thus far. The end result I am told is to create a block (or the idea of a block) of boxes that will resemble an apartment building lit from the left. There will be a different occupant per unit, each one symbolizing a different emotion or theme.
The images rely on familiar stereotypes; some are classically homoerotic while others are more melodramatic, but they are all arresting. I was surprised to learn that E. Gibbons, the artist behind the paintings is actually a pseudonym for someone who has chosen to remain anonymous. Apparently, no one, not even his art dealer knows who he is or what he looks like.
Across town at Tam’s Thai Restaurant in Normal Heights you can savor a plate of strawberry chicken while you appreciate the work of local artist Doug Noble (not a pseudonym as far as I am aware!).
Noble is presenting a small selection of paintings. The images have a spiritual theme and at 11″x14″ they are small enough for those narrow walls around the house.
Go shopping, buy some local art and if you feel like it I wouldn’t mind a portion of that strawberry chicken to go!
tamsthailand.com
