@ MICHAEL KOHN GALLERY - Camille Rose Garcia: Snow White The Complete Works on Paper - Opening and book signing: March 15th, 6-8p.

Camille Rose Garcia: Snow White The Complete Works on Paper

March 15 - April 14, 2012
Opening and book signing: March 15th, 6-8pm

Michael Kohn Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of original watercolor paintings by Camille Rose Garcia. These beautifully intricate paintings were created for the illustrated book of the Grimm Brothers' classic fairy tale, Snow White (Published by Harper Design, February 28, 2012). Her previous illustrated book was a New York Times Bestseller and was described as "Brilliant" by New York Magazine.

Camille Rose Garcia's wholly original interpretation of the classic tale of Snow White is underscored by her dark and whimsical style. With a stylistic nod to the watercolored animation backrounds of early Disney movies, Garcia references the golden age of early animation as well as vintage German fairy tale books. Garcia adds back the darker elements present in the original Brothers Grimm text, inverting the Disneyesque paradigm of simplistic happy endings and everlasting halcyon days into something closer to the original macabre German folktale.

These incredible paintings will be on view at the Michael Kohn Gallery for a period coinciding with the release of the first two major Hollywood films based off the same tale of Snow White.

The illustrated book will be available at the gallery, and Garcia will be present for signing during the opening reception.

Camille Rose Garcia was born in 1970 in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in the generic suburbs of Orange County, visiting Disneyland and going to punk shows with the other disenchanted youth of that era. Her paintings of creepy cartoon children living in wasteland fairy tales are critical commentaries on the failures of capitalist utopias. Creative influences include Phillip K. Dick, William Burroughs, Henry Darger, and Walt Disney, as well as politically aware bands like The Clash and Dead Kennedys.

Garcia received a Masters of Fine Arts from The University of California, Davis. A solo mid career survey of her work was shown at the San Jose Museum of Art in May 2007.

Three books of her work have been published, her children’s book, The Magic Bottle, 2006, published by Fantagraphics Books, The Saddest Place on Earth, 2005, published by Last Gasp Publishing and Grand Central Press, and Tragic Kingdom, 2007, published by Last Gasp Press and The San Jose Museum of Art.

Garcia’s work has been featured in Flaunt Magazine, Nylon, Paper Magazine, Modern Painters, Art Prostitute, Juxtapoz Magazine and The Los Angeles Times. Her art has been exhibited in Spain, Germany, France, and Italy, as well as numerous cities in the United States. She currently lives in Northern California.