http://hifructose.com/2015/03/13/preview-glenn-barr-devngosha-and-william-wray-at-merry-karnowsky-gallery/
Glenn Barr, devNgosha, and William Wray are three artists who share an affinity for 1960s cult film characters and subculture. Tomorrow, they join together at Merry Karnowsky in an exhibition of new works that elaborates on their inspirations. We first featured Glenn Barr’s nostalgic portraits in HF Vol. 10, which range in emotional appeal and design. His background in graphic novels has progressed into a unique style that combines cheesy glamour with scenes based in modern reality. With the concept of “communication” as a central theme for these new pieces, we find them talking on rotary telephones. His compositions are more intimate than previous works, cropping into the face of his subject to focus on her expressions. William Wray’s works are intimate in another respect, as he portrays well known superheroes like Batman and Spider-Man in their private life. Rather than the glorified portrayal we are used to, Wray shows them having a smoke on the street or waiting for their laundry to dry. The most playful and abstract representations are by devNgosha (Devon Liston and Gosha Levochkin). Their latest paintings are vibrant, visually layered portraits, such as oldschool cowboys and a Transformer on a dry Los Angeles-backdrop. One piece pays homage to Belgian artist René Magritte, whose paintings continue to inspire the entertainment world. Surreal, ironic and emotional, the three artists offer a remixed version of Hollywood that is more genuine than it is kitsch.