MONSTERS (In My Head): The Disturbing Illustrations of Larry West

The Monsters are no longer confined to under your bed!

Philadelphia Artist/Native Larry West returns to the Philadelphia Art Scene with his next art show, "Monsters (In My Head)". After 6 years of toil, agony, and fear, Philadelphia Artist Larry West unveils the monsters that reside in his head! An exhibit in the macabre and disturbed pieces of art that he constantly refers to as "The art of a madman", the show will show 10 of the most raw, imaginative, and heartfelt pieces of the illustrators life.

The artwork deals with a lot of lost that the artist has gone through. "I call them the monsters in my head because, well, that's what they are. But in a lot of ways, they're the ones we all see. Pain, misery, loss, anger, anxiety... they all take different forms. Some are scarier than others, but all of them are always clawing away at us at one time or another."

This marks Larry West's second art show, as well as his second at Digital Ferret. Larry's art will be shown in conjunction with live performances by Worms of the Earth, Vicious Alliance, and DJ Stalagmike.

The opening reception will be held September 24th at 7PM - 10pm, and the show will run until October 20th. Prints of all the pieces will be available for purchase.

Larry West's artwork can be viewed at his website:
http://www.larrywestproductions.com

About Larry West: Larry West is best known for his 2007 run for Mayor of Philadelphia. He has since then taken a larger turn towards his artwork, and still comments constantly about politics in Philadelphia, and the world.

8-Bit And Beyond! - Art Show Coming Up Worth Checking Out!

The Autumn Society will have their monthly art show at Brave New World comics at 45 N. 2nd Street August 7th from 6 - 10PM on First Friday. Be sure to come out and see the great work, and even buy some to take home with you!

There's already a lot of great art coming in, and I'm intimidated to even post, let alone bring in, the piece I've been working on! The caliber of the art and artists is incredibly high, and its an honor to get the chance to work with them.


"Pixelated Princess Of Revitalizing Fungi" by Kasey Tararuj

Be sure to check out more about The Autumn Society here!

It's First Friday! Why Not Check Out "The Youth Is Revolting"?

Are you sick and tired of hearing about the "South Street Riots"? I'm sick of reporting it, at least for now, and there really is nothing to report right now. So to that end, why not do something awesome! Head on down to Digital Ferret Records where my art show, "The Youth is Revolting!", is still going on!




THE YOUTH IS REVOLTING! - The Art of Larry West at Digital Ferret

Nearly 200 people turned out to the first art show of Philadelphia-native Larry West, turning it into a massive success for all involved!

Fed by a steady stream of blog posts, flyers, and sheer word-of-mouth, Digital Ferret Records 4th Friday event featuring the artwork of Larry West and the bands Red This Ever and Ninetwelve went off without a hitch! Larry, best known for his 2007 mayoral run, came into his own as an artist with pieces that showed not only his political side, but also a focus on artwork that drew influence from artist Pushead and Roy Lichtenstein, a style he likes to call "Sub-Americana".

Larry came in dressed in all black with goggles on his head. When asked why, he stated, "Its because the art scene in this city seems to be littered with people who try too hard to be 'hip'. Too many pastels, too much of the same... this is me, in essence, rejecting it with something better. This is my personal revolt."

West went on to sell a record number of pieces that night for both himself and Digital Ferret. West received strong criticism during the lead-up to the show from Obama supporters for including his piece depicting Obama with the word "Obey" behind him in a piece he calls "False Messiah".

"I'm very happy with this turnout!", West remarked. "I'm just thrilled so many people enjoyed my work!"

On top of a strong opening night, the show will run from today until June 24th, 2009 at Digital Ferret Records at 732 S 4th Street.

Larry West's artwork can be viewed at his website: http://www.larrywestproductions.com

About Larry West: Larry West is best known for his 2007 run for Mayor. He has since then taken a larger turn towards his artwork, and still comments constantly about politics in Philadelphia, and the world.

My Art Show Went Really Well!

Wow, what a night!





After 4 months of planning and a ton of work, I finally had my art show! I had everything laid out at home, it took a while to print, mount, and hang everything, and the flyers made were wrong, and there was little to no press about it, or the two bands playing.

In the end, the opening night of the show went great! Most of my friends were able to make it, even people I hadn't seen much in the last 6 months, and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive from the crowd! The bands Red This Even and Ninetwelve played, they did a great job! Red This Ever really dug my stuff, which was pretty cool.

I sold 5 prints myself, I have one more in the wait, and demand is pretty high. My boss even bought 2 of my pieces, which simply floored me! It was incredible, very flattering, and I'm enjoying my little moment right now.

If you live in the area or will be in Philly during the weekend or from now until mid-June, the show will still be up, so please feel free to come down and take a peek.

Here are some awesome photos of me putting up the show:




Also, Visual Art Assassins did a story about this on May 17th (visualartassassins.net), and there will be more links soon.

THE YOUTH IS REVOLTING! - The Art of Larry West at Digital Ferret Records!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mohawked Madman Murders Monotony

Remember Larry West? He's back...IN ART FORM!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. March 3rd, 2009. A former mayoral candidate known for his outrageous hairstyle now leads a coup d'état against the monotony of the Philadelphia Art Scene.

After two years of staying under the radar since his daring campaign, Larry West defiles the scene with his first major show, 'The Youth is Revolting'.

In what can only be referred to as 'Sub-Americana', West feels he captures the essence of a counter culture that has existed as long as Modern America. He believes his art "forces us to acknowledge this culture as a large part of the country's history while simultaneously slapping wholesomeness in the face." Larry West's style incorporates everything from Art Deco to comics and pop art. West also is known for his cardboard sculptures of robots with signs that said, "The End is Near".

"The ways of the past are not dead; They simply change into new forms," says West about his show; referring to his use of propaganda in his art - something that he feels is still alive and well in America.

West's comic book interpretations draw from the past to comment on the present and future. His unique style serves to underscore his vision in one big happy heavy metal/anarcho-punk extravaganza.

'The Youth is Revolting" will debut on May 22nd from 7pm-10pm, at Digital Ferret Music Store, 732 S. 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA and run through June 25th. The bands performing opening night will be industrial metal acts ninetwelve and Red This Ever, along with DJ Boston.

About Larry West:

Larry West is a 24-year-old local artist who has run for office in 2007 and is currently known for his hair and his feud with Milton Street, Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller, and the rest of the world. He is available for interviews, and will be as fun and interesting as possible.

The line up is as follows:

DOUBLE RECORD RELEASE SHOW!

ninetwelve (Lukotyk Records)
red this ever (from Baltimore!)
DJ Boston


LOCATION:

Digital Ferret

526 S. 5th St. Philadelphia, PA 19147

Just Got the Flyers for My Show!

I've had a really, really, weird week up to, and including today. I've had a feeling of impending doom mixed with malaise mixed with other things. Really, I've just been kinda depressed. I have a little over a week left before my show and, so far... I have nothing. Nada. Everything is planned out, but nothings printed, I still didn't even order my business cards, and I don't feel like I measure up as an artist as I should. I think a lot of artists go through that last bit.

So today I got a call from Digital Ferret saying the flyers for my show came in! BLEW ME AWAY! I couldn't believe it! Something like that... well, I've been planning this show since February, and after a while, the show becomes more of an "abstract thought" than a tangible thing. Getting the flyers for your show in your hands... well, it makes everything a lot more real!

Only 10 days to go, and I'm getting really psyched now!

THE YOUTH IS REVOLTING! - The Art of Larry West

Just wanted to post a reminder that my show is in a little more than 2 weeks! Mark your calenders!

THE YOUTH IS REVOLTING! - The Art of Larry West

Just wanted to post a reminder that my show is in a little more than 3 weeks! Mark your calenders!

THE YOUTH IS REVOLTING! My Art Show Is Near!

Ladies and Gentlemen, you have been warned!

Yes, I am pleased as hell to present to you the flier and the line-up for "The Youth is Revolting!", my first art show EVER! It is being presented by the greatest music store in Philadelphia, Digital Ferret, as part of their 4th Friday Series! As an added note, I want to point out that even if you can't come out to the show, please come down during the month of June one day and look around.

The line up is as follows:

DOUBLE RECORD RELEASE SHOW!

ninetwelve (Lukotyk Records)
red this ever (from Baltimore!)
DJ Boston

I had never heard either band until today, and I can honestly say nintetwelve are the most interesting. They only have one song on their profile, but it's really good. It's dance/electronica mixed with industrial. I think it was inspired by Aeon Flux, one of my favorite shows of all time.

So, that said, this is going to be one heck of a show! I've been planning it since late-January and its actually nearly done in terms of planning. What's left it putting it all together. I'll have a lot of posts about putting an art show together which, in the end, I want to turn into one really good, really smart article.