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More by Allison Saunders

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Penny Cosmos is rich

Jon Claytor reinterprets classic portraits, making for eery works you'll want on your walls.

by Allison Saunders @alliesaysrelax

click to enlarge

Claytor's in Parentheses

Upon entering the cozy Parentheses Gallery your eye might first dart to the strange, textured sculptures of animal and human figures, particularly the beast that looks like it's ready to pounce, but its the paintings in Jon Claytor's Penny Cosmos that really pack a punch. Bold colours that pop off their dark backgrounds, sullen faces that stare deep and the sheer size of the works make this collection powerful. Simple but electric jagged-lined constellation-based works ("Skull Constellation," "Rabbit Constellation") find them selves among eery takes on portrait paintings. Using the analogy of a punk cover of a mainstream hit, Claytor revamped classic paintings by the likes of Velazquez, Van Dyck and Titian, with his own, familiar touch. Like the paintings they're based on, which radiate their own bizarre gothic gazes, Claytor's characters (all named after 80s songs) are creepy but, much like a punk cover, explore a clever and humorous side of the originals.

To Nov 14, Parentheses Gallery and Art Projects, 2180 Gottingen Street

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