BADASS Exhibit by Rene Garcia, Jr. at Project One Gallery

The concept of the art knocked me off my feet. Instead of paint, there was Glitter on Panel everywhere on these huge pieces of art. The sizes varied from 2' X 4' to 8' X 6' and there was no lack of excitement. The artist is a family man with two kids and a wife, who dabbles in Graphic Art herself. When I walked into to gallery located in the Potrero Hill district, I was greeted by a Michael Jackson album insert but his head was replaced with the head of a lion. The portrait was huge (6' X 9') and breathtaking and not just for Michael Jackson fans. This was one of the few times I could take a photo with no one in front of it.

There were three panels that reminded me of Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Le Grand Jatte but I was only able to get a photo of two of them. The glitter under the lights really sparkled and made the pieces more tangible in a certain way. With all the subtlety of an acid trip through a drag queen's shoe closet, Garcia Jr.'s canvases magnify the voluptuous beauty of pop stars, horror movie monsters, and rock 'n roll.

I really enjoyed Garcia's take on the scorpion. There is a lustful element in the panel that seems to be missing from the rest of the collection. Garcia is the resident artist at Project One and Scorpion is part of the permanent collection which is his largest piece by far (8' X11'.) This piece really showcases Garcia's talent in a big way. So enjoy the collection and find it at 251 Rhode Island St. at 16th on Potrero Hill.