Baton Rouge Gallery opened Surreal Salon 9, an annual art exhibition highlighting the pop-surrealist/lowbrow movement in American Contemporary art, on Jan. 4. The exhibit will be on display until Jan. 26.
Although 700 works from 300 artists were considered for this year’s exhibition, the gallery chose to feature 63 works from 58 artists. Although the chosen artists come from 26 different states, they are all coming together in Baton Rouge for a celebration of the talent, creativity and artistry each of them brings.
Alexis Moon is a local artist whose work will be displayed in the exhibition. Moon recognizes not only what the contributing artists do for the Salon, but also what the annual Surreal Salon does for the city of Baton Rouge.
“Surreal Salon puts Baton Rouge Gallery on the map as a nationally recognized gallery, shining light on the brilliant collective of artists in Louisiana and in our country,” Moon said. “We do a lot as a city in regards to honoring our appreciation for the arts.”
The Surreal Salon is also a good platform for up-and-coming artists to gain exposure and make connections with artists from all over the country who are part of the same movement.
“It’s almost like Baton Rouge is an artist’s residency in some ways because the talent really is just pouring out everywhere you turn,” Moon said. “Our local artists have unique and profound gifts to share, in a plethora of mediums, and they deserve to be seen, heard, appreciated and taken seriously in the art world.”
Along with exposure, artists attain a sense of self-validation from being selected. Each work goes through an arduous jurying process to earn its place in the exhibition.
“It’s an honor to be included in this show,” Moon said. “On a personal level, it’s a beautiful feeling to have my work recognized. I paint from such a vulnerable place in my soul-space, so being selected gives me a little boost of confidence and just inspires me to want to explore my work even deeper.”
Each year, Surreal Salon chooses an acclaimed juror to select the exhibition’s “Best in Show.” This year’s juror is one of today’s most respected and renowned pop-surrealist artists, Greg “Craola” Simkins. Simkins is a Los Angeles-based artist best known for his large works and eccentric imagination which he expresses through his art.
“Craola’s work is gorgeously surreal and diverse. I really admire his skills as a painter, and, in my opinion, I think his artwork is pretty epic,” Moon said. “He definitely has the credentials. He actually chose each piece shown in this year’s show, so I’m interested in picking his brain and nerding out about the exhibition’s aesthetic and, of course, all things art.”
The winner of the “Best in Show” award will receive an editorial and have their work featured in an upcoming issue of Juxtapoz magazine.