New Adventures in High Frye

Sean Frye describes his own work as "a hybrid of fine art and graphic illustration." While his paintings are representational art in the strict sense of the term, Frye incorporates a range of illustrative styles in each piece. His painting Still Smoking Nuns melds classical portraiture (that absolutely shocked Grandmama) with stylized, Kyle Barker-esque nuns. Taken as a whole, the piece recalls the strong narrative sense of the golden era of film posters, or the current trend of painted comic-book covers; Frye's paintings hint at a larger story, without delineating that tale explicitly. There's room enough to create your own interpretation within Frye's canvases, allowing for a more personal relationship with his art. Strange Adventures, Frye's solo exhibition at the Gallery of Contemporary Art on the campus of St. Louis Community College-Forest Park (5600 Oakland Avenue; 314-644-9350), officially opens with a free reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, February 29. The show remains up through Friday, March 7.
Feb. 29-March 7, 2008