NARCISISSY

Antebellum Presents

Narcisissy~ the art of Barry Morse

Friday, June 4 – Saturday, June 5, 2010

Antebellum Gallery is pleased to present NARCISISSY, Barry Morse’s new collaborative exhibition of paintings, photography, and video.

The two-day exhibition opens at Antebellum Gallery June 4, 2010 and continues through June 5, 2010. The opening reception is Friday, June 4, 2010 from 7 – 9pm. Included in the exhibition are collaborations with Los Angeles artists, including noted photographers Austin Young and Rick Castro, and painter Miguel Angel Reyes. Opening reception admission is $5.

Aunt Connie, (Morse’s artistic muse and alter ego) will also be present June 5, 2010 to host & judge the first annual Klaus Nomi tart contest ~ 4pm at Antebellum.

Admission, which includes tea and tarts, is $10.


Multimedia artist Barry Morse employs paintings, films and videos, installations, performances and photographs to draw on a private, hermetic world of queer surrealism, self referential imagery, psychedelic colors, and fantasy and nightmare - beckoning the viewer to join him on a vivid journey into his mysterious and private gay subconscious. Some of his images are oddly familiar and childlike, while others are mysterious and full of internal meanings.

Morse’s body of work critiques and explores gender / sexual identity and body image through multiple themes and subjects: gay adolescence, surreal childhood fantasy, bodybuilding, and manipulation of the the male body through the artifice of performance, costume, wigs, makeup, and plastic surgery.

In this exhibition, Morse creates a collaborative body of work that alludes to and is inspired by his recent videos Ookie Cookie (2009) and Mouse’s Birthday (2010, West Coast premiere in this exhibition), both of which will be screened.

Ookie Cookie (2009) Morse’s strange and whimsical video homage to the late underground filmmaker Tom Rubnitz, stars Jackie Beat as Lady Bunny, Morse as Pickle/Aunt Connie, drag artist Willam Belli, and other Los Angeles performers playing RuPaul, Sister Dimension and assorted New York club kid icons.

Mouse’s Birthday (2010, West Coast premiere in this exhibition) is a wholly original gay fable, set to original music and lyrics by Morse, featuring the vocal talents of Jane Weidlin (Go-Go’s), and stars Morse, LA drag icon Tammie Brown (RuPaul’s Drag Race) and a host of Los Angeles underground artists, including filmmakers Dino Dinco and Daniel Eduvijes Carrera, musician Ara Thorose (electro band MYNX), club diva/performer Jean Spinosa (Wigout!) and butoh dancer Sherwood Chen.

Morse’s work has been presented internationally in art galleries such as Santa Monica Museum of Art, Cohan Leslie Brown Gallery (New York), and the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, and venues and film festivals, including MIX NYC, MIX Brasil, Outfest (Los Angeles), Tel Aviv Fest, New Fest (New York), Frameline (San Francisco), Boston LGBT Film Festival, and Homo A Go Go, Morse received his BFA and MFA from California Institute of the Arts in 1993. He lives and works in Los Angeles.

Antebellum Gallery general hours: Wed – Sunday 1-7pm. 1643 N. Las Palmas Ave, Hollywood CA 90028, www.antebellum.us.ms