Local artist (and musician, most lately artist most of all) Gus Cutty just posted this painting of Thelonious Monk on Facebook. “One of my new favorites of one of my old favorites,” he wrote. And that’s indicative of the intuition and poignancy with which he treats all of his subjects. It’s not that Cutty elevates street art, because there’s plenty of incredible public work, both guerrilla and sanctioned. It’s that Cutty brings elements of street art (namely, aerosol paint) into the gallery. A recent show at Push Gallery featured mounted pieces as well as art sprayed directly onto the wall, showcasing Cutty’s ability to use the drips and blasts of aerosol paint to the benefit of his subject matter.
All of that, and the art is still completely street savvy.
The Satellite Gallery (55 Broadway St.) hosts an opening for Simulacra: New works in aerosol by Gus Cutty on Friday, Nov. 1. 7-9 p.m.
The artist’s statement: “My new body of work, Simulacra, represents the continuation of a process developed in the late hours of the night on dilapidated rooftops and secret bridges, shrunken and refined onto canvases and furniture. Using spray paint and working from reference photos the size of Polaroids and smaller I have created a group of second generation simulacra whom, while retaining many of the original subjects characteristics, push my process of intricate layering into a more graphic direction creating original creatures teetering right on the edge of the uncanny valley.”
