Preview: Bottleneck Gallery & Silver Screen Society's "Alternate Ending" Art Show

I'm not sure I've ever seen a gallery go from being completely unknown to one of the most buzzed about things on the Internet as quickly as Bottleneck Gallery has. And as far as I'm concerned, there's zero secret as to why they've had so much success. The artwork, the philosophy, and the leadership. First things first, the artwork. I'm not exactly sure how they do it, but Bottleneck has been great about getting in-demand and little known artists alike to consistently offer up amazing work for each and every show they put on. Then there's the philosophy. Besides coming up with fresh themes for their shows (case in point: an exhibition built around what-if movie moments), Bottleneck has also embraced the philanthropic side of selling art by donating a portion of all proceeds to a variety of charities (the "Alternate Ending" show will benefit NYCares). Finally, the gallery's leadership completes this metaphorical three-legged stool and is probably the most important element necessary to its success. I'm guessing most of my readers probably haven't had a chance to interact with Bottleneck co-founder Joseph Bouganim, but I can assure you the dude is one of the nicest guys there is and 100% dedicated to the gallery, the artists he works with, and the art they create. Compliment explosion complete.

Now, where was I? Oh yeah, Bottleneck Gallery and Silver Screen Society's "Alternate Ending" show. What is it? Glad you asked. Here's the official verbiage:

"Life is full of endings that we cannot change, goodbyes we cannot take back, and letters we cannot un-send. Classic movie endings stay forever frozen in our mind, and a tragic book ending can haunt you for days. That is why Bottleneck decided to change the rules of space and time, commissioning over 60 gifted artists for our "Alternate Ending" exhibit. Each artist will present a piece representing what they wish had happened at the end of a certain film, video game, or book. It is our chance to rewrite the end, and we hope to see you there."

Pretty easy to understand and yet mindblowing-ly awesome, right? Here are a few pieces from the show along with my brief comments below. And if for any reason you're not familiar with Silver Screen Society, go ahead and change that right now by visiting silverscreensociety.com. Now onto the art!

"Alternate Ending" Gig Poster
Inspired By: Jurassic Park

This Jurassic Park inspired gig poster is fantastic for two reasons. Reason #1: Sam Jackson and Newman didn't get devoured by dinosaurs! Yay! Reason #2: there are a LOT of artists to be excited about, including: Alex Pearson, Barry Blankenship, Gabz, Jared Wright, Oliver Barrett, Ridge, Sam Smith, and Simon C. Page, among others. In other words: suh-weet.

"Akira" Art Print
Godmachine
Inspired By: Akira

I'm not going to write about every print here (I'll be saving that for my "Best Of" post), but I did want to put down a few words about Godmachine's epic Akira inspired print. And those words are: unbelievably beautiful and amazing. This print is definitely vying for the top spot in my "Top 20 of 2012" list. To learn more about the artist, head over to Godmachine's blog and follow @godmachineuk on Twitter.

"Seven" Art Print
Andres Martin
Inspired By: Se7en

This would have made for one hell of a deleted scene. And it's possibly the most hilarious print in the show. I'm not sure if Andres has a website, but if you know the address, please send it my way.

"Home Alone" Art Print
Eva Galesloot
Inspired By: Home Alone

Let's be honest with ourselves, would we really have been that disappointed if the Wet Bandits had successfully robbed the McCallister household? I say nay and Eva Galesloot's print shows us just how awesome it could have been. For more on the artist, visit her website and follow @skwirrol.

"Skyfall" Art Print
Mark Englert
Inspired By: Skyfall

The flashback that never was. Mark Englert has amassed a large following due to his amazing landscape portraits and this print is no different. Well done, sir! Head over to tacobelvedere.com (where you can find a killer process post) and follow @markenglert on Twitter.

"Robocop" Art Print
Emory Allen
Inspired By: Robocop

Emory Allen's "Robocop" print smartly uses negative space to show just how insignificant a dismantled Robocop could be. Sad face. For more of Allen's work, check out ocularinvasion.com and follow @ocularinvasion.

"Dark Knight Rises" Art Print
Rob Loukotka (Fringe Focus)
Inspired By: The Dark Knight Rises

Would I like to see the ruins of Gotham after a decidedly destructive bomb goes off? Yes, please. Rob Loukotka's beautifully precise poster is the perfect present for fans of the what-if. Visit fringefocus.com for more info on the artist and follow @fringefocus on Twitter.

Just a reminder the show will be opening on Friday (12/15) at 7 PM in Brooklyn, New York. Whatever doesn't sell out at the show will be available on Bottleneck's website on Saturday (12/16). Most importantly, if you're lucky enough to go, have a great time!