Collaboration David Craig Ellis, Don Arumbrust, “Greetings From Walpole Island,” 2018. Acrylic and Ink on canvas, 18in x 24in. (Courtesy: the artists).

Not Another Gallery! in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is, well, not just another gallery. Canadian-born artist, gallerist, and curator David Craig Ellis celebrates the avant-garde in his newly reopened gallery space with a group show composed of his friends and fellow artists. The show, titled The Brand New New Year,  features some of the country’s top visual artists, such as Rick Prol, Ivy Supersonic, brothers Paul and Mark Kostabi, Friday Jones, Bingo Sanatra, Anna Gabriel, and Karyn Mannix. 

A fixture of the downtown New York City and Brooklyn art and music scene since the early 90s, Ellis says the show will combine both art and music for an eclectic exhibit. “This show has a real, legitimate rock and roll feel. Almost every artist in the show has either been in a band or is somehow connected to a rock star. It’s just pure, authentic fun.” 

WHAT: THE BRAND NEW NEW YEAR 

WHEN: December 31, 2022 – February 11, 2023

WHERE: Not Another GALLERY! 109 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11249

One of them, fine art photographer Anna Gabriel, has worked with rock icons like Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry, Tom Petty, and her father, Peter Gabriel, throughout her career. The work in the show is taken from her book titled Eye-D Photographs. It captures close-up photographs that focus the artificial lens on the human lens. Gabriel says, “eyes are our windows out to the world and the windows into our souls. Each eye is the chronicle of a life. Iris colors change with the years, and lines and lashes reveal our stories to those who can read them.” She adds, “each subject is an icon we know, but the photographs depict an entirely new truth that readers have never before seen. Looking into someone’s eyes for a prolonged period can simultaneously unnerve and bring closeness. Oxytocin is released, and the personal boundaries we maintain are challenged. Connections, emotions, sublanguage, healing–all flow between us via the eyes.”

Mark Kostabi, “Manifesting Sanguinity,” 2022. Oil on canvas, 24inx 18in. ( Courtesy: Mark Kostabi).

Ivy Supersonic is probably best known for the pink feather hat she designed for Pamela Anderson for the 1999 VMAs. She’s a well-established painter and clothing designer with several solo exhibits featuring her paranormal paintings and designs.  Another participating artist, Samoa Moriki, originally from Japan, is an underground rock and roll guitar player, character actor, and a celebrated painter throughout the East Village. He is also a founding member of New York City shock-art darlings, The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black. Best known as the founding member of the highly successful punk band, Lunachicks, Gina Volpe creates intricate, detailed paintings that border on actual hallucination mixed with a spin on an old Mad Magazine piece of artwork. 

While Mark Kostabi is perhaps best known for his paintings of faceless figures, he has also designed album covers for the likes of Guns N’ Roses and The Ramones. His paintings are in the permanent collection of The Met, the Guggenheim, and The National Gallery Of Modern Art in Rome. One of his works, Manifesting Sanguinity, is on view here and is indicative of the artist’s style. Mark Kostabi is also known for collaborating with other artists, including his brother Paul, a founding member of the rock group White Zombie, whose colorful abstract paintings are also part of the exhibit. Indicative of his style, Paul Kostabi’s Mr. Magic, on view in the exhibit, is a colorful, messy, jumbled version of a face. Layers, designs, and colors all intertwine to create a painting that leaves the viewer confused and intrigued. 

Rick Prol is one of the icons of the East Village art scene of the 80s in New York City. His work is included in such illustrious venues as The Smithsonian, The Hirshhorn Museum, and the Guggenheim. Before gaining fame, Prol was the last assistant to Jean-Michel Basquiat.  Ellis notes how thrilled he is to have Prol involved in the show. “Rick Prol is one of my favorite living artists. It’s so great that he’s in this show. I love how he never needed to rely on pop culture references or some gimmick. He invents everything he does, and his ideas are completely original. His knowledge of art history is staggering. He made me a drawing the night of the opening.”

During Covid’s lockdown, rock star Richard Bacchus painted postcards, mailing them out to friends around the world. Bacchus was a founding member of New York City’s beloved glam-punk band, D Generation, whose major label debut was released in 1994 to critical acclaim.

Friday Jones, “Coke Whore Season,” 2020. Acrylic on canvas, 18inx 14in. ( Courtesy: Friday Jones).

A celebrity tattoo artist famous for her humanitarian work, Friday Jones has aligned with some of the country’s top plastic surgeons to provide artful scar coverage and emotional restoration for mastectomy survivors. Her paintings depict a darker side of the world. A case in point is her work Coke Whore Season, showcased at the gallery during the show. The spider webs in the painting are a nod to her time spent working with famed tattoo artist Spider Webb during New York City’s outlaw tattoo culture when the art form was illegal. It’s also where the artist gained her name, Friday.

These are just a few of the names highlighted in the exhibit. The talent for both art and music runs deep in The Brand New New Year Show at Not Another Gallery!