The Creep Presents Trash at Hyaena Gallery
Chris “The Creep” Densmore’s fourth solo show opened last weekend, Saturday, December 6, at Hyaena Gallery in Burbank.
Inspired by pop artists such as Andy Warhol, The Creep’s candy-colored collection explores gender roles through 20th-century American iconography.
Entitled “Trash,” each work incorporates tension between traditional feminine roles and reality. Threatened by women who enjoy their sexuality and men who enjoy channeling a feminine energy, society often labels overt displays of flaunted feminine sexuality as “trash.” Barbie serves Ken’s head on a platter, Andy Warhol looks demure in drag, and John Waters is memorialized as a “Sultan of Sleaze” in this show that urges viewers to embrace the trash.
Though all of The Creep’s work has an element of tongue-in-cheek playfulness, it’s not intended to be ironic. The Creep is disgusted by the current fad teens and young adults have of appropriating nostalgic imagery and wearing it ironically. Young hipsters around Los Angeles sport 70s mustaches, neon t-shirts from cartoons that have been off the air for thirty years, and caps popularized by rap stars of the early nineties, mashing together a meaningless style that is condescending to older generations who didn’t wear these styles ironically. The people doing this seem to say, everyone older than us was so ridiculous and must be shamed.
The Creep believes that trash is a big part of our culture and sometimes deserves to be celebrated, not continuously brought down by people who don’t know how to be original.
The show opening was packed with people who truly love exhibitionism and androgyny. Several artists were in attendance including sculptor Matthew Levin, painter and musician Clint Carney, cartoonist Angus Oblong, mixed media artist Spinestealer, and illustrator kAt Philbin.
Trash is showing at Hyaena through the end of December.
Top photo: Chris “The Creep” Densmore in front of his paintings
from left Heidi with her husband, painter and industrial musician, Clint Carney; illustrator Kat Philbin
from left attendees including soft creature sculptor Ron Whipple and cartoonist Angus Oblong
from left Sculptor Matthew LeVin and Brian Bubonic
Clockwise from left Hatchet Face, Sultan of Sleaze, Edie, and Divine Worship