July 1: Mark Todd’s Force Field at La Luz de Jesus Gallery

Mark Todd “Force Field”

July 1 – 31
Opening Reception: Friday, July 1st, 8-11 pm

La Luz de Jesus Gallery
4633 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90027
323-666-7667
www.laluzdejesus.com
info@laluzdejesus.com

Also showing:  Van Saro, Simon Sotelo, Andy Steele, Hui Tan

Click here to preview “Force Field”

Mark Todd continues his process of reinterpreting, deconstructing and adopting classic iconic comic imagery in his July 2011 La Luz de Jesus Gallery show, “Force Field”. The works reference snippets of abstracted comics and combine many covers and characters, melding them together in mixed media paintings and layered collage works, producing rich layers of oozing, fragmented and multiple plains. Anchoring the show will be a large dimensional centerpiece installation – a ¾ scale comics inspired fireworks stand composed of wood, chicken wire, lights and flags with painted surfaces.

Todd took his first creative cues from comic books, role playing games and Star Wars: worlds of inventive fantasy that still inform his work today. For the last six years he has categorically documented the world of his teenage obsession, intense scrutiny and alteration of classic comic covers from “Fantastic Four,” “X-Men,” “Iron Man,” “Spiderman” and other series, including the work of legendary illustrators like Jack Kirby. “I love the type, the heavy shadows, the colors and the way they seemed to use very inch of the page,” says Todd. “I sit and study them, and my brush reconstructs them.” Todd is referencing the past, waxing nostalgic about it and simultaneously lending his own post-modern sensibility to it, employing a limited palette, repetition, distortion and mixed media materials including spray paint, cel-vinyl, glossy varnishes, silkscreen and dusty stains. The pieces appear as prized objects; tablets encoded with civilization’s most iconic collective wisdom. Todd recently put up PowerFury.com, a new website and blog dedicated to his artwork www.powerfury.com