Friday, November 13, 2009 6 pm - 9 pm
La Luz de Jesus Gallery
4633 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-666-7667 Fax: 323-663-0243
www.laluzdejesus.com

“Kickass Kuties: The Art of Lisa Petrucci”
Walk through a sparkling wonderland of make-believe, a cotton-candy-colored dreamworld of hearts, flowers and switchblades, of glamorous, dewey-eyed cartoon pin-up gals, kutie-pie kowgirls, leopard-skinned sweeties, hatchet-wielding honeys, and the cuddliest devil kitties Hell has to offer. The art of Lisa Petrucci is a honey-coated maelstrom of contradictions -- the innocence of lost Americana, childhood nostalgia, and traditional feminine iconography all presented with a rebellious spirit. “Kickass Kuties: The Art of Lisa Petrucci,” is the first collection of the artist's remarkable catalog, a hallucinatory tour through an emporium of cultural chaos, a bipolar gallery of imagery both sacred and profane. Foreword by Kirsten Anderson, Published by Chronicle Books.

“On Tender Hooks - The Art of Isabel Samaras”
Isabel Samaras folds in familiar icons from classic TV shows, comic books, and movies to create imagery that is very much of the now. Any archetype, from the Bride of Frankenstein to Little Red Riding Hood, Gilligan to the Creature from the Black Lagoon, can find true love (or at least a sexy entanglement) in a painting by Samaras. Never failing to shock and delight with their eagle-eyed perceptions of human folly and animal passion, the paintings in On Tender Hooks tell stories that are tender, bewitching, and fascinating. On Tender Hooks is a look at Pop Culture as filtered through the eyes of an artist with a bent for twisted narrative, saucy erotica and quirky humor. According to Samaras, “People who like classic monsters, fairy tales, and cheesy American cultural icons will get a kick out of this book.” Essay and orchestration by Colin Berry, Text by Justin Giarla, Lucy Blue, Shag, and The Pizz, published by Chronicle Books.