4/08/2015

“Minor Identity Crisis" Featuring Gus Harper Set to Open at Essentia Saturday, April 18th!


Saturday, April 18th enjoy an opening reception for “Minor Identity Crisis,” at Essentia in Santa Monica. The solo exhibition featuring the work of Gus Harper will feature some twenty works along with an installation. 

Gus Harper - Minor identity Crisis VII, 66" x 55"

Essentia may be just a “Mattress store” but it’s also an active hub for local community artists. “Essentia is a great place to have an art show.  Great wall space and perfect for the installation piece I have planned,” said Harper. “This is a large piece that hangs from the ceiling. It will be highly visible from the street as well. It will hang from the rafters of the mattress store.”

Harper explained that the exhibit is made up of very colorful paintings (and an installation) that are heavy on symbolism. “A lot of the pieces are about overcoming fear, said Harper. “There are usually components that symbolize the viewer of the piece, fear, and tools to overcome fear. It's pretty open to interpretation. I'm interested in the way that humanity creates and meets fear. 

Harper believes that everyone relates differently according to the circumstance. He continued, “So the result is that there are various reactions, which lead to various manifestations of self.  And as people become more aware, we challenge our own perceptions of reality and of what kind of person we want to be.”

This is how he came up with the title "Minor Identity Crisis." He added. “Some people get a kick out of the title and that is okay because there is definitely a sense of play in the new work.”

Gus Harper - Illunition I, 24" x 36". Oil, spray paint, acrylic on canvas
 
Harper enjoys collaborating with other artists. “I started collaborating with Gronk about 2 years ago. I usually have a few collaborative pieces in every show. In the last show I had two pieces I made with my mom Fielden Harper (a professional artist as well).

The artist has more shows coming up in the Fall. The first is an exhibition of his suspended pillars at LocziDesign in San Francisco in September and the 2nd will feature his recent paintings in Mexico City.

The art reception and opening takes place this Saturday, April 18 from 6:30pm-10pm at Essentia, 2430 Main Street, in Santa Monica 310-450-7819
http://gusharperart.com/

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