4th Wall Gallery
Grand opening party tonight 7-10pm; 2925 Fairmount St; Uptown; 214.740.9400
Creative types leave Dallas to pursue their love for the arts, while non-creative types move to Dallas to pursue jobs that pay enough to buy the art of those who've fled. Bringing said art to those who can afford it, 4th Wall Gallery.
Opening today in the space that had been Reflection Fine Art, 4th Wall was brought here by a gallerist who felt Dallas was far more fertile buyer ground for edgily cool L.A. works, mostly from underground up-and-comers, plus a few on-the-siders like Tim Burton and Clive "Master of Horror and Painting Stuff" Barker. The 60ish-strong artist roster produces a dizzying range of ballsy works, including robots made from salvaged housewares, stylized punk Zines, and images of smoking piano players, lanky DJs, cherubs violently stabbing a heart, a kid magician ceremoniously unveiling Medusa's decapitated head, a glorious ode to steaks, martinis & dancing bananas, weathered visions of bluesman Robert Johnson, and some Renaissance-looking guy named "Sir Reptitious" -- an "oil on canvas with large cage compartment for pet rats" that'd make for a great conversation plague. While many offerings are predictably pricey, the site's search engine offers a helpful price filter -- for example, 151 items at sub-$500, including one from Barker, and another dubbed "Le Monstre", a piggish baby with devil horns (clearly someone's been reading too much Clive Barker).
Open to the public, tonight's debut bash'll feature free vodka and Stoneleigh Hotel-catered grub, live jazz, and an appearance by Warhol sidekick/pop artist Ronnie Cutrone -- who fled 15 minutes of fame to pursue 15 minutes of Fairmount.
