Through their unique pasts, David Geiser, Charles Waller, and Mark S. Fisher have found solace through their satirical sketches. The three truly talented illustrators will be featured in the White Room Gallery’s Bent exhibit, which will be on view Friday, April 7 to Sunday, April 23.
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The Bird by Mark S. Fisher. |
Geiser, an illustrator and abstract expressionist painter, has worked extensively with mediums such as tar, shellac and scrap wood to create his exciting, yet twisted satirical depictions. He worked in the late 60’s and 70’s for “Underground Comix” in San Francisco and spent a number of years in Paris working for magazines before moving to New York to pursue abstract painting. For Bent, Geiser’s work will primarily be his strange illustrations of clowns, pieces that touch on both the playful and bent side of life.
Waller will be presenting his Gay Pirate series. The artist-cum-journalist studied illustration at the Royal College of Art in London before writing for the New York Times for over 15 years. He has won a number of awards for his work in the Times, Esquire and Sports Illustrated. The artist is anything but normal, being that he initially desired to pursue veterinary medicine, and channels his colorful life and varied interests into his idiosyncratic work. “I started drawing at around seven years of age. I had originally wanted to be veterinarian,” he noted. “I worked for one as a young boy, however, my grades in math and science were awful, and I would never have made it in veterinary school. As a result I started to draw animals (healthy ones).”
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Charles Waller is presenting his Gay Pirate series. |
His Gay Pirate series was inspired by a recent trip. “Last year I sailed with several friends throughout the Virgin Islands. There was a running theme on all of the nine islands I visited. We were in pirate territory. Jack Rackam, Long Ben Avery and Blackbeard to name a few,” he said. “However, Captain Morgan (rum) and Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) were by far the most visible. I became fascinated by the graffiti painted on abandoned buses, buildings and ships. This ‘Island Outsider Art’ went far beyond the dirty words etc. one would expect. I ventured off the beaten path and photographed everything not touristy.” A chance encounter led to the series’ title. “While on St Thomas, the ‘Gay Regatta’ was in town after a big race. These guys were great! Accomplished seamen with a sense of humor,” he noted. “They had big muscles, Popeye hats and T-shirts that boasted “HI THERE SAILOR” on the front with a picture of Liza Minnelli on the back. This body of work was inspired by my experiences on this trip.”
Fisher, a multi-talented artist, is from the Boston area and has an extensive history, too, in the arts. His work cannot so easily be pinpointed, as he touches on illustration, graphic design, comics, found object assemblage, science fiction artifacts and interior designs for businesses and restaurants. What makes Fisher so unique is the technique he uses to create his art: the artist works initially in his sketchbook, then scans the images into his computer where he can work on post production of the images. His drawings are very personal, reaching towards the unexposed links to his own imagination. “When I draw in my journals my anxious mind relaxes and what comes forth often times are the interests and fears of my youth,” he explained. “These elements are the raw building blocks of my visual language, sometimes compartmentalized into comic strip panels or single images, and always with a pinch of humor. They are the peep holes into my mind, have a peek.”
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David Geiser, Charles Waller, and Mark S. Fisher have found solace through their satirical sketches. |
An opening reception, with live music from The Benders, will take place on Saturday, April 8 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The White Room Gallery is located at 2415 Main Street in Bridgehampton. For more information, visit www.thewhiteroom.gallery.
