The crowd of people congregating outside should have been indication of what lay through the open glass door of Hyaena Gallery. That is, a scene of near-pandemonium reminiscent of my experience browsing through the gift shop of Tokyo Disneyland, so filled to capacity that personal space seemed non-existent, what with people bunched up together like the hydrophilic heads of a cell membrane. This was the start of the opening reception for All Outta Bubblegum, an art show dedicated to filmmaker John Carpenter. In fact, the very man himself was in attendance, standing in the back where the artworks for the show hung. It explained the excitement, as gallery goers were lining up for the chance of a quick exchange and photo shoot with the cult classic icon, which I myself could not resist taking:
Contributors to the show were my co-workers Mick Cassidy, Mark Covell, and Joe Vaux. Their participation naturally attracted friends from Fox TV Animation and various others from the animation industry, creating a joyous reunion for former co-workers to chat over realistically grotesque sculptures of the Thing, and the random cuteness of Michael Myers and Starman depicted, in anthropomorphic fashion, as cats. Mark Covell’s “Six Must Die” was a personal favorite, a glaring anomaly amid the gallery’s sweeping collection of punk-like imagery and caricatures. An oil painting with a more classical feel, it portrays Captain Blake and his crew from “The Fog,” capturing the creepy visual beauty and blueness that I appreciated about the film, despite the ending that vexed me so much.
“All Outta Bubblegum” is going on now until April 30, 2014, at Hyaena Gallery in Burbank. For more pictures of the event, check out the set on Flickr.