“Gods & Monsters’ Up Close

Posted Dec 17, 2009 by Angus Shafer

Updated Dec 17, 2009 at 10:25 AM

Chris Parks(Pale Horse) and Allen Hampton were kind enough to answers a few questions about their recent two-man show “Gods & Monsters”. 

Tart: Can I get you both to explain the others work to someone who has never seen it before?

AH: I would describe Chris’ work as highly graphic, intricately designed, and tightly executed. I think maybe those are all things I would sometimes say about my work as well, but the end results are anything but similar. That is one of the main reasons I have always been so interested in working with Chris. Our art styles are simultaneously very similar and strikingly different. Our processes parallel, but our medium of choice dictates very different results.

“Yami”
Chris Parks (Pale Horse)
Giclee’ print on canvas

CP: Allen Hampton’s drawings are created with precise detail and painstaking layers of pig’s blood. The combination of the medium and often disturbing subject matter make for a very raw, personal and intense experience for the viewer. Allen also has amazing abilities with aerosol cans and paints huge, photo realistic mural portrait pieces.

“I would rather, from time immemorial, have had serpent coiled around my neck than look into your eyes”
Allen Hampton
Hand dawn in blood on paper

Tart: What was your favorite piece made by your fellow artist?

AH: I loved the “Kraken” piece, as well as the “Lucifer” piece. Those two really stood out to me. They are visually stunning (color, composition, and production), but also, the subject matter of both pieces is that of topics that I have been interested in for years.

“Lucifer”
Chris Parks (Pale Horse)
Giclee’ print on canvas

CP: : My favorite piece was Allen’s self portrait called “As Maldoror”, I also really love the collabs we did together.

“As Maldoror”
Allen Hampton
Hand drawin in blood on paper

Tart: Can you explain your take on the Altered Beast pieces and the Medusa piece? How did these come to be? The thought process you both took to bring these to life?

“Altered Beast” pieces with artists in front: (Left)Chris Parks (Right) Allen Hampton

“Medusa”

AH: The portraits and the medusa piece were really the first things that Chris and I talked about. In the beginning, they were just rough ideas based around the ‘lets do some collaborative pieces’ idea. Chris wanted to work in on of my aerosol portraits, and it just seemed like painting a medusa would be the absolute best way to make an amazing mural. i mean what mythical creature is more bizarre and incredible than Medusa?

The altered beast pieces went through a few different incarnations in the conceptual phase of production. Originally they were just going to be split portraits, then chris had the idea for the animal parts. Each of us would be left to our own devices for what we thought would work best with the others portraits. I think they turned out really great.

CP: I was super excited to collaborate on these pieces. Our styles are so different and it really pushed me to create works that I could never have pulled off on my own. The huge Medusa mural turned out exactly the way I pictured it in my head. The die-cut vinyl and graffiti mixed so well and I’m really proud of the finished product. The “Altered Beast” pieces came out so raw and in your face. Combining hand drawn blood and printed, digital illustration was definitely a first for me. We really wanted to experiment with mixing our mediums, and the self portrait / altered beast concept seemed to be a natural fit and really defines the whole exhibit to the viewer.

Check out more of the show:

Video tour of the show

Online store