White Walls Gallery presents “Waiting For Ararat,” a joint show featuring Caleb Neelon and Mike Shine. An opening reception will be held Saturday, April 11th, 2009 from 7pm to 11pm at 835 Larkin Street, SF. Check out Caleb and Mike’s unrivaled abilities in transforming space with their interactive nautical landscapes in a show that should not be missed. Both artists will be in attendance, and you might even snag an autograph for the inside cover of Caleb’s “Book of Awesome.”
Caleb Neelon was born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he works as an artist, educator and writer. When he isn’t busy with solo and group exhibitions throughout the US, Caleb gets out of the gallery and out of the States. International venues for his murals include Brazil, Nepal, Honduras, India, Iceland and Europe. It was a childhood visit to the Berlin Wall that introduced Caleb to the dexterity of murals, a passion that he has since broadcasted onto city walls and translated into gallery spaces. Being a writer as well as an artist, Caleb has a handful of published books under his belt. His “Book of Awesome,” published by Gingko Press, catalogs his works abroad and on the home front. This little treasure highlights Caleb’s nautical large-scale wall pieces, street sign art, indoor installations, and just how awesome he really is.
Mike Shine spends his days surfing, creating, and spending quality time with family and friends at his notorious “art shack” in Bolinas, California. His mystifying artwork pays homage to his wife and Nordic mythology, all dipped in a thick coating of pop culture. Driftwood has become central to Mike’s conceptual basis, inspired by a storm worn amusement park that has literally washed up on his frequented beaches. Shine’s work takes the carnival theme to a whole new level, infusing nostalgic half-recollections with sinister mythological characters. Infusing the scary and fun sides of amusement parks (clowns are creepy), Shine has successfully created his own nautical interpretation of the age-old American classic. Take one look at his infamous shack and you’ll want to know what makes this artist tick. Shine’s alternate life is spent as the executive creative director of advertising agency, BSSP, which makes us wonder: where does this guy find time to have so much fun?
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