The legendary Los Angeles artist Gronk is making an appearance at the Cerritos College Art Gallery on multiple platforms from August 28 – October 6.
The Gallery will present his solo exhibition Stock Footage and Outtakes: A Selection of Works by Gronk. The exhibition primarily presents the artist as illustrator and painter. It also spotlights his investment in cinematic and performing arts, including the miniature maquette of his set design for Peter Sellars’ dramatic opera Ainadamar and the massive papier-mâché sculpture inspired by the 1950s horror movie The Giant Claw.
Gronk’s recurring motif Tormenta makes multiple appearances, casting shadow finger puppets in three large paintings and standing stoically in six colorful panels. Some additional works on display include a ten-foot-tall Mayan dog, a giant cardboard tank inscribed with roaring dinosaurs, and a painting made from coffee sleeves.
The exhibition is part of this year’s epic Untitled (coffee sleeves) by GronkSUR:biennial, held at sixteen venues throughout Southern California. Founded in 2011 by Cerritos College and Rio Hondo art galleries, SUR:biennial showcases works of artists influenced by the cultures and artistic traditions of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.
In addition, Gronk will be working on a new 32-foot-long multi-panel for the Fine Arts Building in the gallery’s projects space daily from August 29 – September 8, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Students and visitors can join him for his daily drawing sessions. A curated selection of the artist’s favorite movies will also be screened to provide further insight into his aesthetic and thematic influences. The finished work will be revealed at the closing reception on Saturday, September 30.
The closing reception will also highlight a live performance of Tormenta 1985, based loosely on Gronk’s life, written and directed by Cerritos College Spanish Professor Froylán Cabuto. The show will feature live music, dance, acting, and a short film.
Admission and events are free and open to the public.
