"Television plays a crucial role in our lives, influencing our opinions, actions, and daily routine. It is only natural that the small screen would also influence art, linking the two through memorable stories and images. Bottle Neck Gallery has decided to embrace this connection and commission an incredible group of artists for 'More Than You Imagined: Art Inspired by Premium Cable.' This exciting and entertaining exhibit will feature work influenced by some of the most popular HBO, Showtime, and Starz programs, giving you a reason to get off of the couch."Now that's something I can get behind. Premium cable's original programming was a turning poing in the movie vs. television argument, with shows like The Sopranos and The Wire forever changing our entertainment landscape. Below, I've included my favorite pieces from the "More Than You Imagined" exhibit that are still on sale and have broken up its contents by show and network. Have at it and let me know what you think!
Band of Brothers (HBO)
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| "Band of Brothers" Art Print Paul Shipper 16" x 24" (Giclée) - Numbered $60 - Limited to 20 Inspired By: Band of Brothers |
Note: This paragraph should be read with the "Star Spangled Banner" playing softly in the background. Band of Brothers is so good, it deserves to be watched on a yearly basis (preferably sometime around the 4th of July.) Brothers makes you want to be a better person. Paul Shipper's print masterfully captures that sense of heroism and would likely make for a great gift to the war buff in your life. Shipper's Band of Brothers inspired print is available through Bottleneck Gallery for $60. To learn more about the New Zealand-based artist, head over to paulshipper.com and follow @paulshipper on Twitter.
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
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Now, I'm a bit behind in my Boardwalk Empire viewing, but I've finished the first season and can attest that the Scorsese-produced series has all the visual elements necessary to inspire some fantastic Prohibition Era artwork. Sure enough, Kevin Ang and the guys at New Flesh Prints were up to the task. Both prints beautifully highlight the show's often morally-nebulous characters with a monochromatic, but by no means nostalgic, aesthetic. "Half A Gangster" and "The Tin Man" prints are now available for $30 and $35 respectively. To learn more about Kevin, visit his deviantART page. And to learn more about New Flesh prints, I'd recommend heading over to newfleshprints.com, and following @newfleshprints and @NEnewflesh.
Carnivale (HBO)
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| "A Dark Heart Dwells Where Branches Meet" Art Print Brandon Schaefer 12" x 18" (Screen Print) - Numbered $25 - Limited to 50 Inspired By: Carnavale |
I freaking loved Carnivale and was devastated when it was cancelled after only two seasons. Part period piece, part Russian nesting doll made out of mystery and enigma, Carnivale was a blast to experience and, as he's wont to do, Brandon Schaefer created a compelling and appropriately mysterious poster. "A Dark Heart Dwells Where Branches Meet" is currently available through Bottleneck Gallery's website for $25. To see more of Brandon's work, visit seekandspeak.com and follow him on Twitter @seekandspeak.
Dexter (Showtime)
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| "Dexter's Secret" Art Print Tony Bui 16" x 20" (Giclée) - Signed and Numbered $50 - Limited to 10 Note: Dexter |
Tony Bui, an artist I wasn't familiar with until today, has created a fairly terrifying (and awesome) print inspired by everyone's favorite serial killer. And as a huge fan of creative typography, it doesn't get much better than a title comprised entirely out of the tools necessary for murder and / or body disposal. "Dexter's Secret" is ready to be purchased for $50. The print is limited to an edition of 10 and measures 16" x 20". I'm not 100% sure if this is the correct Tony Bui, but it may be worth checking out tonybuifanclub.com.
Eastbound & Down (HBO)
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| "Kenny Powers" Art Print Zeb Love 20" x 16" (Screen Print) - Numbered $25 - Limited to 45 Inspired By: Eastbound & Down |
All I've got to say to this is, "F**k yes!" Zeb Love's Eastbound & Down inspired print is the pitch perfect (get it?) representation of Kenny Power's philosophy (and his profanity-laden audiobook.) This great looking print is still available for $25, which is a pretty unbelievable price for something this intricate. For more Zeb-related insanity, head over to zeblove.com and follow @zeb_love on Twitter.
Flight of the Conchords (HBO)
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| "Flock of the Conchords" Art Print Jesse Riggle 8" x 10" (Giclée) - Signed and Numbered $30 - Limited to 20 Inspired By: Flight of the Conchords |
Conchord's "The Most Beautiful Girl [in the Room]" still gets constant play in my household. In fact, with all this recent wedding planning nonsense, I've found that the Brett and Jemaine composed opus has been chosen as the first dance song by a decent amount of people. Believe you me, I was tempted. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and we decided on Tim and Eric's sublime "I Sit Down When I Pee." (Apologies for that terrible joke, folks.) Brooklyn-based artist Jesse Riggle channeled his inner Kiwi and created a gorgeous looking portrait of the two musicians in their natural habit (i.e., sheep bodies), that's a must own for any fan of the show. Riggle's "Flock of the Conchords" print is now available for only $30 through the Bottleneck website. To learn more about the artist, visit jesseriggle.com and follow @jesseAlso.
Game of Thrones (HBO)
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| "Winter is Coming" Art Print Marie Bergeron 27.25" x 11.25" (Giclée) - Signed and Numbered $80 - Limited to 20 Inspired By: Game of Thrones |
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Game of Thrones seems to be the show that everyone wanted to create artwork for. And why not? It's an epic sword and (minimal) sorcery tale that feels far more realistic than you would ever think possible. In other words: there's a lot of inspiration to be had what with all the skulduggery present in the Seven Kingdoms. The three prints above ("Winter is Coming," "Game of Musical Chairs," and "Born to Run") represent a vast spectrum, with one being hilarious, another a beautiful (if barren) vista, and a third falling somewhere in between. It's that diverse creativity, which goes to show you how affecting the series can be and how brilliantly conceived the show is to warrant such dedication. "Winter is Coming," "Game of Musical Chairs," and "Born to Run" are all available through the Bottleneck Gallery storefront. To see more of about the artists, visit mariebergeron.com, isaacbidwell.com, and campbellwhyte.com.
Homeland (Showtime)
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| "Hero or Threat?" Art Print Chris Garofalo 12.5" x 19" (Screen Print) - Numbered $20 - Limited to 40 Inspired By: Homeland |
Truth time: I haven't seen a single episode of Homeland ever. Don't get me wrong, I plan on changing that, but I've got a few shows higher on the priority list right now. With that said, while I may not have seen the series, I'm familiar enough with the synopsis to appreciate Chris Garofalo's inspired print. Garofalo's art often has a grimy sort of sheen over it, which lends his work a lived-in and slightly dangerous look. This approach worked for his Hellraiser poster and it works here too. The "Hero or Threat?" screen print is available through Bottleneck for only $20. For more info on the artist, please visit his Tumblr and follow @QFSChris on Twitter.
Weeds (Showtime)
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| "Agrestic Burning" Art Print Joshua Budich 12" x 24" (Screen Print) - Signed and Numbered $30 - Limited to 100 Inspired By: Weeds |
I think I enjoyed Weeds more at the beginning than I did in later episodes, but I always thought the premise was great. Posterocalypse favorite Joshua Budich, with his usual skill and aplomb, has chosen to depict the community of Agrestic in all its uniform glory under the weight of a fiery and destructive ganja-related force. Overseeing all of this devastation is the Botwin family and their accountant friend Doug Wilson. Budich's "Agrestic Burning" is available through Bottleneck Gallery for $30 and is limited to an edition of 100. To see more of the artist's work, be sure to visit joshuabudich.com and follow @jbudich on Twitter.
The Wire (HBO)
"You come at the king, you best not miss..." Words to live by, no? Tim Doyle's and Samuel Ho's prints celebrate the strange and ghostlike Omar Little, both choosing to treat the character as an almost god-like presence. Truth be told, I'm shocked these haven't already sold out, because not only does the entirety of the Internet worships The Wire (myself included), but for a show so universally loved, there's a surprising lack of decent artwork available for it anywhere. Do yourself a favor and pick up one or both of these before they're all gone. You won't be sorry. The "King of Baltimore" and "The Saint of West Baltimore" prints are currently available for purchase. To learn more about Tim Doyle, be sure to visit nakatomiinc.com and follow @nakatomitim. Visit samuelho.com and follow @samuelho to see more of Samuel Ho's work.
And that's it! What were some of your favorite pieces?
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"You come at the king, you best not miss..." Words to live by, no? Tim Doyle's and Samuel Ho's prints celebrate the strange and ghostlike Omar Little, both choosing to treat the character as an almost god-like presence. Truth be told, I'm shocked these haven't already sold out, because not only does the entirety of the Internet worships The Wire (myself included), but for a show so universally loved, there's a surprising lack of decent artwork available for it anywhere. Do yourself a favor and pick up one or both of these before they're all gone. You won't be sorry. The "King of Baltimore" and "The Saint of West Baltimore" prints are currently available for purchase. To learn more about Tim Doyle, be sure to visit nakatomiinc.com and follow @nakatomitim. Visit samuelho.com and follow @samuelho to see more of Samuel Ho's work.
And that's it! What were some of your favorite pieces?
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ReplyDeleteI only chose prints that were currently available for purchase.
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