Scott Musgrove: Natural Alchemy
and Miss Van:
Don't Be Shy

Gallery II
Two Person Exhibit

Opening reception - Saturday, September 10th, 6pm-9pm

September 10, 2005 through October 8, 2005

NEW YORK, NY: Jonathan LeVine Gallery is pleased to present “Natural Alchemy: a pictorial inventory” by Scott Musgrove and “don’t be shy!” featuring new works by Miss Van. The exhibitions will be on view from September 10^th until October 8^th. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 10^th from 6-9pm.

In “Natural Alchemy” Scott Musgrove exhibits his latest archeological discoveries. His surreal exploration of extinct animals blends the bizarre comic book world of quirky, often grotesque, characters against rich, finely executed landscapes. His influences range from the work of artists, Carlos Crivelli, Jan Van Eyck, Hieronymus Bosch to contemporary artists Donald Roller Wilson, Botero and Odd Nerdrum.

Seattle-based Scott Musgrove attended Columbus College of Art and Design in downtown Columbus, Ohio where he studied illustration and painting. Musgrove's work has been published by Fantagraphics Books and Dark Horse Comics, and has also been included in various comic anthologies. In addition to showing his paintings in numerous galleries across the United States, Scott has created an animated TV series, Fat Dog Mendoza, which is distributed through Cartoon Network Europe.

Miss Van’s sexually suggestive portraits originated as graffiti and have appeared on numerous city streets in Europe and the United States. The French artist began painting on city walls at the age of 18. Drawn to the excitement of painting illegally and the freedom from censorship, Miss Van used graffiti as a way to boycott the conventional medium of art. Her ultra-feminine characters are a direct challenge to the toughness and masculinity that is associated with graffiti and street art. With “don’t be shy!,” Miss Van brings her work into the gallery to further explore notions of femininity and the ‘provocante.’ Delicately straddling the border between erotica and portraiture, her ‘dolls’ provoke the viewer and question what is ‘appropriate’ in modern society.