Scott Brooks, Andy Haynes, and Marie Barr at Autumn’s Delight

Coming in three days is a show in Escondido, California, that features the works of three technically proficient artists all bonded by an unconventional, twisted flair. Here’s what you can expect in Distinction Gallery‘s upcoming show.

First, there’s Scott Brooks. His warm-colored works feature warped characters who walk the fine line between human and alien. Brooks plays on this ambiguity and feeds the visual palate of folks who might like slightly bizarre things along the lines of William S. Burrough’s Naked Lunch. There’s something engaging and interesting about Brooks’ way of throwing the head of a man upon the torso of a chicken in The Last Humpty Dance and his way of putting disgusting items like human organs into a bright menagerie of organs in Renaissance Man (shown below).

Andy Haynes was previously featured in REDEFINE with his slightly surreal character paintings. His newest pieces have headed in a different and similarly exciting direction. In One Hour of Awareness (below), a hodge-podge of items float across the painting, creating a sci-fi environment of weightlessness and a feeling of a hyperreality. This piece and others are set in nearly futuristic states, but others fall back on humanity’s more tribal, natural roots, creating an interesting dichotomy between two polarized periods views on human existence.

The last artist in this mix is Marie Barr, who, compared to Haynes and Brooks, has arguably more grounded works. It’s a quality that makes her works accessible to individuals of all ages. In addition, whereas the other two primarily use oil on canvas, Barr’s works use watercolors, inks, pastels, and other soft, enveloping mediums, including teas. The results are highly stylized character studies imposed on textured backgrounds, as seen in Things Learned Young (below).

Written by
Vee Hua 華婷婷

Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the Editor-in-Chief of REDEFINE, Interim Managing Editor of South Seattle Emerald, and Co-Chair of the Seattle Arts Commission. They also previously served as the Executive Director of the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences.

Vee has two narrative short films. Searching Skies (2017) touches on Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States; with it, they helped co-organize The Seventh Art Stand, a national film and civil rights discussion series against Islamophobia. Reckless Spirits (2022) is a metaphysical, multi-lingual POC buddy comedy for a bleak new era, in anticipation of a feature-length project.

Vee is passionate about cultural space, the environment, and finding ways to covertly and overtly disrupt oppressive structures. They also regularly share observational human stories through their storytelling newsletter, RAMBLIN’ WITH VEE!, and are pursuing a Master’s in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the Native American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota.

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