Gabriel Shaffer’s been exhibiting his folk-inspired paintings for years, and this month he invites a new artist onto the scene. Joti Marra Ramsey shows her stylized narratives of women and animals painted in bright hues that pop off the panels. With her, Shaffer exhibits a brand new collection of work that he describes as “Jim Henson meets Apocalypse Now.”
The last two years have kept Shaffer busy with large-scale projects, including a street-art themed mural for the Asheville Art Museum and installations for various restaurants across the state. He says the projects introduced him to new ways of working with materials, which culminate in these theatrical paintings that include WWII imagery and fantastical characters. “It’s my darkest show but not in the respect that it’s menacing or mean,” says Shaffer. “I went pretty deep in my head with this one.”
Shaffer invited Marra Ramsey to exhibit with her because he had seen her work around town and felt she was “right on the verge of actualizing something.” While both artists maintain singular visions, Shaffer says they’ve been bouncing ideas off each other since the show’s inception. “I like a good challenge, and with Gabriel’s guidance and enthusiasm I dove in,” Marra Ramsey says.
Phantom Antlers opens on Friday, June 15, at Satellite Gallery, 55 Broadway St. Opening starts at 7 p.m. The work will be up until July 30.
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