Tag Archives: chet zar

Chet Zar Documentry, I Like to Paint Monsters, to Be Released on March 8th, 2016!

Chet Zar ILTPM

Do you like Monsters? I sure do. But you know who really loves Monsters? Artist Chet Zar; Chet Zar loves Monsters. But more specifically, he loves to paint Monsters.

After a four-year intensive labor of love, Director Mike Correll is ready to release Chet Zar: I Like to Paint Monsters; the definitive documentary on this compelling artist. The DVD now has an official street date of March 8, 2016, with iTunes rental date still to be announced.

Here is a peak inside what this exciting film has in store:

Enter the dark and foreboding world of Chet Zar, where apocalyptic industrial landscapes are inhabited by disturbing yet beautiful monstrosities. Sometimes gruesome, periodically funny, but always thought-provoking, Zar’s art is as enigmatic as it is frightening. But who is Chet Zar, and why does he like to paint monsters? These are the questions at the heart of this new documentary.

Chet Zar is an influential figure in the Dark Art Movement, and, given his chosen moniker “Painter of Dark,” this is no surprise. Born in 1967 in San Pedro, California, Zar was well known as the family prankster. With a passion for horror films, an innate urge to create bizarre artwork, and a superhuman work ethic, Zar seemed to be made for the special effects industry. During his time with the film industry, he designed and created creatures and makeup effects for such films as Darkman, The Ring, Hellboy and Hellboy II, and Planet of the Apes.

Even more well-known is his work with the band Tool, contributing to both their music videos and their on-stage theatrical animations. Despite his success in the film industry, Zar became disenchanted by the artistic compromises required of him. In early 2000, with the support of his family and horror author Clive Barker, Zar decided to enter the business of fine art, and pursue his passion for monsters by painting them.

Chet Zar: I Like to Paint Monsters offers an opportunity to take a journey into the mind and life of Chet Zar. Become acquainted with his thoughts, motivations, and reflections of the past as well as his projections of the future. Delve into his experiences in the film industry, his transition from early special effects into the world of computer animation, and, ultimately, his evolution into the distinctive artist he is today.

In addition to the eighty minute feature documentary, Correll and Zar have worked hand in hand with First Run Features to include much more, such as: Extended Interrogations, Chopping Block: Deleted Scenes, Rogue’s Gallery: The Art of Chet Zar, Behind the Scenes Featurette, Time-Lapses: The Creation of Six Chet Zar Paintings, and the Official Trailer — for 120 minutes total runtime! The documentary is in english, but is open to all regions, so it can be enjoyed worldwide. You can preorder your copy of Chet Zar: I Like to Paint Monsters for just $24.95 at Amazon.com!

Last Rites Gallery Presents: Chet Zar’s The Demon Show

Chet Zar Demon Show
All Photos By Gail

Do you like Monsters? I sure do. And one thing I know is that artist Chet Zar likes to paint Monsters, and no one does that better than him.
Continue reading Last Rites Gallery Presents: Chet Zar’s The Demon Show

Last Rites Gallery 5 Year Anniversary Show!

Anima Pemumbra 4 by Menton3
Anima Pemumbra 4 by Menton3 (All Photos By Gail, Click on Any Image to Enlarge for Detail)

Things got dark and scary at Last Rites Gallery, as they are wont to do, at Saturday night’s opening reception for the Gallery’s Fifth Anniversary group show. Of course, dark and scary is how we like it at Last Rites, a gallery dedicated to exhibiting Horror Themed art and surrealist / pop art that falls to the right of the macabre.

Dead General By Esao Andrews
Dead General By Esao Andrews

Curated by Gallery Director (and freelance photographer) Derek Storm, this collection features paintings, sculptures, drawings and mixed media works by over forty artists, including a selection of Last Rites‘ roster of represented artists such as Chris Mars, Jason D’Aquino, Chet Zar, Beau Stanton and the legendary HR Giger.

Sculpture By HR Giger
Birth Machine Baby Bronze Sculpture By HR Giger

Deep Rising By Colin Christiann
Deep Rising By Colin Christian

Colin Christian has a beautiful sculpture in the show and his equally talented wife, Sas Christian has contributed a painting, below, that to me looks a lot like actress Naomi Watts.

The Fear By Sas Christian
The Fear By Sas Christian

Mark Kostabi and Gail Worley
Mark Kostabi and Me

Mark Kostabi was there! It is always fun to see Mark, he is so nice and such a charmer!

How About a Refill by Mark Kostabi
How About a Refill? by Mark Kostabi

It is not very challenging to pick out Mark’s contribution to the show. His style is extremely distinctive.

Drowning Salvation by Matt Dangler
Drowning Salvation by Matt Dangler

I liked this one a lot.

Last Rites Gallery Painters

These two artists created this paint during the exhibit. I guess that qualifies it as “Performance Art.”

Red King By Michael Hussar
Red King By Michael Hussar

This very fun and diverse exhibit will be up until May 18th, 2013, so be sure and make a trip over to Last Rites at 511 West 33rd Street while you can!

Poor & Stoned Diptych By Jason D'Aquino
Poor & Stoned Diptych By Jason D’Aquino

Suggestivism Curated By Nathan Spoor Now at Bold Hype Gallery

Colin Christian at Bold Hype
Sculpture By Colin Christian

Bold Hype Gallery’s summer group exhibition, Suggestivism, opened last Thursday in NYC. This fun exhibit of paintings and sculptures, which features 43 of the new contemporary art scene’s most talented and intriguing artists, was curated by uber hot surrealist painter Nathan Spoor, whose fantastic work we first discovered just a year ago at his own Bold Hype solo exhibit, Phantom Passport. The concept of Suggestivism, according to Spoor relates to introducing “a common creative thread amongst several disparate and unique voices within the modern art world.” Thus, you may notice seeming shared influences among the artists – which is very cool and ends up drawing you further into the search for meaning in each piece.

Kathie Olivas at Gold Hype
Kathie Olivas

Artists participating in the exhibit include some of our favorites such as Eric Richardson, Jason Limon, Chris Mars, Chet Zar, Kathie Olivias, Colin Christian and Spoor himself, as well as Annie Owens, Bob Dob, Bob Schnider, Brandt Peters, Brendan Monroe, Chandler Wood, Christian Van Minnen, Dan May, Darren Legallo, David Molesk, Francesco Locastro, Heidi Taillefer, Heiko Muller, Jason Maloney, Jeff McMillan, Joe Vaux, Joey Remmers, Julian Callos, Kevin Peterson, Marco Mazzoni, Mia Araujo, Michael Page, Naoto Hattori, Nathan Ota, Nathan, Nc Winters, Rod Luff, Sandow Birk, Scott Schiedly, Skinner, Thomas Doyle, Tom Bagshaw, Winnie Truong and Yevgeniya Mikhailik.

Eric Richardson at Bold Hype
Eric Richardson

I really loved this exhibit and would “suggest” that you check it out before it closes. See more pictures from Thursday’s opening after the jump!

Suggestivism will be on Exhibit Through June 30th, 2012, at Bold Hype Gallery, Located at 547 W. 27th St., 5th Floor New York, NY 10001

Jason Limon at Bold Hype
Jason Limon

Thomas Doyle at Bold Hype

Thomas Doyle

 

Heidi Taillefer at Bold Hype

Heidi Taillefer

 

Chris Mars at Bold Hype

Chris Mars

 

Francesco LoCastro at Bold Hype

Francesco LoCastro

 

Joe Vaux at Bold Hype

Joe Vaux

 

Scott Scheidly at Bold Hype

Scott Scheidly

Last Rites Gallery Celebrates Amazing Interior Renovation with Two New Exhibits!

“If it works, don’t fix it” is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot, and with good reason. It seems like as soon as you get comfortable with something, or figure out how it operates, it changes – and usually not for the better (see: FaceBook). Those who read this site regularly know that the Last Rites Gallery is my favorite art space in Manhattan. Also home to the tattoo studio of artist Paul Booth, visiting Last Rites has always felt like going to an art Theme Park or the abandoned set of a horror movie.
Continue reading Last Rites Gallery Celebrates Amazing Interior Renovation with Two New Exhibits!