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Curious Critters
New Works by Michael Fleming (aka Tweedlebop)
March 20-April 11, 2021
Heading into Spring we thought it was time for something colorful and fun, and it was an easy choice to ask Michael Fleming, aka Tweedlebop, to put on a show. With a 15+ year long career in illustration, Michael has a super fun, super colorful style that connects with both kids and adults alike and we're excited to have a new solo exhibit featuring new works of his. We don't know what all the Curious Critters will look like just yet, but we can't wait to find out!
The exhibit will be open for viewing and sales beginning Saturday, March 20, 10am-6pm, but we are being cautious and will not be holding an opening reception.
Sign up for our gallery previews email list at previews.rotofugi.com to receive an email when works are available to purchase online — we try to have a preview out a day or two before an exhibit opens, though sometimes it doesn’t go out until sometime after the opening.
The exhibit continues through April 11th and the gallery is open for viewing at Rotofugi, 2780 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, 10am-6pm daily, or view online at gallery.rotofugi.com.
About the Artist
Michael Fleming has 15+ years of practical experience as a professional illustrator, working with both digital and traditional mediums. Specialities are children's media, character design and large cartoon heads.
He is taller than Abraham Lincoln.
Infestations & Splattered Mutations
New Works by Stephen Blickenstaff
February 20-March 14, 2021
It's time to get just a little bit weird! We're excited to be presenting a new series of paintings by Baltimore-based artist Stephen Blickenstaff — since the early '80s Stephen has been laying down a steady stream of wonderful art with a cool '60s monster culture vibe (including the iconic cover of The Cramps' "Bad Music for Bad People") and we're stoked to have 20 new paintings of his to show.
The exhibit will be open for viewing and sales beginning Saturday, February 20, 10am-6pm, but we are being cautious and will not be holding an opening reception.
Sign up for our gallery previews email list at previews.rotofugi.com to receive an email when works are available to purchase online — we try to have a preview out a day or two before an exhibit opens, though sometimes it doesn’t go out until sometime after the opening.
The exhibit continues through March 14th and the gallery is open for viewing at Rotofugi, 2780 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, 10am-6pm daily, or view online at gallery.rotofugi.com.
About the Artist
Stephen Blickenstaff has been creating monster themed graphics and illustrations for publication since the early '80s. Inspired by '60s monster culture, Steve’s work is often described as a twisted blend of horror and comedy.
His work has appeared on album covers, T-shirts and posters for bands and personalities such The Cramps, Los Straitjackets, Southern Culture On The Skids, The Fleshtones, They Might Be Giants, and Dr. Demento. Recently, Steve collaborated with his friend and fellow artist John Detrich to create the FUNNY FIENDS sticker series released by Sidekick Labs, and his work has appeared in publications such as "The Book of Weirdo: A Retrospective of R. Crumb's Legendary Humor Comics Anthology" and Les Barany's "Carnivora the Dark Art of Automobiles."
Steve is also personally involved in the music scene — he currently plays theremin with the instrumental surf bands the Atomic Mosquitos and Killers From Space.
The Endless Gloaming
New Works by Brett Manning
January 16-February 14, 2021
We are beyond pleased to be welcoming Indiana-based artist Brett Manning back to our gallery walls for a solo exhibit opening on January 16. We first showed Brett’s work in 2016, in an exhibit titled “Magical Girls,” and she’s been very busy since then building a following for her otherworldly magical art and the “spooky things” that she is compelled to make.
The exhibit will be open for viewing and sales beginning Saturday, January 16, 10am-6pm, but we are being cautious and will not be holding an opening reception.
Sign up for our gallery previews email list at previews.rotofugi.com to receive an email when works are available to purchase online! We try to have a preview out the day before an exhibit opens, though sometimes it doesn’t go out until sometime after the opening.
The gallery is open for viewing at Rotofugi, 2780 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, 10am-6pm daily, or view online at gallery.rotofugi.com.
Artist’s Statement
My friends! The truth is out! It has never been more evident than now! Clutch those blankets close to your chest and hear me…NO! Hear us!
That warm woven security you have draped around your soft body is not quite the protection you’ve been led on to believe – it is more. It is your ritual garb. The veil is not parting, oh no! She quickly decays around us! Crumbling to bits, heralding the return of the Old Ones…the ancient and forgotten deities climb from their hidden holes within caves and mountains, they emerge with ferocity and grace from the great mysterious hills and mounds of grass and stone which scatter our world. They are born from every plume of dancing smoke, man-made or otherwise.
They have been watching and listening patiently to our cries, but for how long you might wonder? However long it has taken our collected tears to create an ocean…their return not only approaches, but it is here, now! Make way! Leave cake and milk by your front door, ring bells and light candles! Sing and dance if you feel the call! Do not fear! Celebration and respect is all they demand for their Glorious Reprise so don your magickal garb and join in on the festivities! The time of renewal is now, friends! Daytime greets the Night, old flows into new, our worlds collide!
Embrace the Endless Gloaming, dearest friends, the glittering, all encompassing spectrum of The Everything warmly envelops us!
— Brett Manning, 2021
The Sad & Horrible Show
New Works by Sad Salesman & Horrible Adorables
December 19, 2020-January 10, 2021
As we were planning the end of our exhibit calendar for this year we couldn’t have known just how insane 2020 would be, but we’re ending the year on something Sad and Horrible regardless, very apropos. But there is literally nothing sad or horrible about the works of Sad Salesman and Horrible Adorables — both make some of the cutest things on the planet and we can’t wait to show you what they’ve been up to!
The exhibit will be open for viewing and sales beginning Saturday, December 19, 10am-6pm, but we are being cautious and will not be holding an opening reception. There will be many pieces in the exhibit that are cash and carry, so it’ll be a great show for a little gift shopping!
Can’t make it to the gallery? Sign up for our gallery previews email list at previews.rotofugi.com to receive an email when works are available to purchase online! We try to have a preview out the day before an exhibit opens, though sometimes it doesn’t go out until sometime after the opening.
The gallery is open for viewing at Rotofugi, 2780 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, 10am-6pm daily, or view online at gallery.rotofugi.com.
About the Artists
Sad Salesman is New York-based artist Eric Althin…he believes there is a little sad salesman in everyone. He created a tragic but tenacious fellow, who ended up becoming his mascot/logo/website. He has always been a character lover and for most of his life, a toy collector. As a kid it was He-man and Star Wars toys, then it became designer toys and sofubi. He started sculpting his own toy designs and fell in love with bringing new characters into the world to make your inner sad salesman smile :)
Horrible Adorables are the creations of Jordan Elise Perme and Christopher Lees, a wife and husband team from Cleveland. They met at the Cleveland Institute of Art where Jordan graduated with her BFA in Fiber & Material Studies, and Chris was pursuing training in fine arts after completing his BS in Mechanical Engineering.
Jordan and Chris bring their soft sculptures to life by meticulously arranging patterns of felt scales onto hand carved forms. The resulting characters have qualities that are booth cartoonish and eerily realistic at the same time. Horrible Adorables are strange hybrid creatures from a fantastical world. Their facial expressions and postures reveal recognizably human emotions as they interact with one another.
In addition to Horrible Adorables, Jordan also works as a freelance toy and textile deisgner. She has proudly worked for companies such as Little Tikes, Hasbro and Joann Fabrics.
Half Curtained and Breathless
New Works by Daniel Danger
November 21-December 13, 2020
We’re always excited to have a new exhibit, but we’re particularly pleased to be announcing that our next exhibit will feature new works by Massachusetts-based illustrator and print-maker Daniel Danger. We’ve previously shown Daniel’s art in two solo exhibits and each time he has wowed us with his meticulous style and command of a limited color palette. This is a show you don’t want to miss!
The exhibit will be open for viewing and sales beginning Saturday, November 21st, 10am-6pm, but we are being cautious and will not be holding an opening reception.
Online sales will start on Sunday, November 22nd— sign up for our gallery previews email list at http://previews.rotofugi.com to receive an email when works are available to purchase online!
The gallery is open for viewing at Rotofugi, 2780 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, 10am-6pm daily, or view online at gallery.rotofugi.com
About the Artist / Artist Statement
Daniel Danger is an illustrator and print-maker living in the woods of Massachusetts. The son of a middle school art teacher and a professional potter, he was probably never going to be an accountant. His explanation of his own work is borderline nonsense and involves overlapping timelines, references to SIERRA point n' click adventure games, number stations in the desert oscillating whispered converations, the death of ghosts at the hands of foliage, giant trauma shadow beings born of kidnapped children that drip wolf shadows, and 1920s childrens books. He is the lost boy-king of Ghost Island, and a broken brain'd hoarder of vintage music gear, old toy ambulances, and bad hardcore records. Him and his wife have a dog named after noted character actor Toby Huss.
Daniel plays or has played in the following bands: Caspermask, A City Safe From Sea, The Saddest Landscape, IDNOCLIP, Squall, XcrimedogX, & Some Stranger.
