Hasta La Ideas

A grassroots group show launches with orgasm drawings, partially-chewed crayons and other performances

Armed with an “if you build it they will come” attitude, psychologist Ilana Simons curated the upcoming group show at the Prince George Gallery with the vision of creating an “instant art collective.” In a similar vein to a pop-up shop, the exhibit is the upshot of quick thinking after seeing the space on her hunt for a place to hold a wedding reception. “When I stumbled upon the space and realized my friends and I could go in on it for gallery space, it just became a no-brainer.”

Showing alongside the New School professor, works spanning simple line drawings to paintings. The nine artists showing include David Pettibone (below left), a fellow at the New York Academy of Fine Art, Michael Alan (above left) whose chaotic visions of New York City create abstract fantasies in vibrant colorways and Jenny Keith (above right), who represents animal emotions in her work.

Chris Colvin (below right) will exhibit pieces from his upcoming solo show at Lincoln Center, which include mixed media portraits from his series called “The Bust Collection.” Retired ophthalmologist turned full-time artist Jane Lubin incorporates her knowledge of biology into works featuring strange bodies in odd locations and bulging eyes. Prudence Groube (bottom left), an Australian artist fascinated by the idea of dismembering the self, will exhibit her colorful ink-on-paper works which are chiefly centered around her fictitious character Mimachan, who “inhabits the space between the seen and unseen.”

An opening night reception from 6-9pm this Friday, 14 January 2011, will launch the show with live performances dedicated to fine art. Sarah H. Paulson will perform with a group of other women, who will recline in the nude, and use their toes to draw whatever comes from their soul. Valmonte Sprout will paint with Crayola crayons she partially digested earlier in the night while the “ambidextrous visionary painter” Roman Zelgatas will paint himself in a translucent phone booth.

The Prince George Gallery show opens 14 January and runs through 26 Febuary 2011.