The Modbo and S.P.Q.R. proudly present May’s First Friday openings, from 5:30 until midnight on May 1st. Live music by local quirky and irreverent piano duo Swelter and Burn at 9. The Modbo will host “Film Noir” by Phil Lear, while S.P.Q.R. features “Remix” by Cymon Padilla. These shows will be open every Friday evening until May 29th. The Modbo and S.P.Q.R. are located at 17b and 17c East Bijou, 80903. themodbo@gmail.com, 633-4240, www.themodbo.com
Acclaimed oil painter Phil Lear’s latest body of work is called “Film Noir.” Says Lear, “The pieces I have are sort of set in a noir film– a dark, downbeat case of tension and foggy suspicion, hard-boiled anti-heroes, double-crosses and femmes fatales.” Don’t miss this show– brooding, lovely and dark all in one.
Cymon Padilla’s newest opus exploits the medium of oil painting to blend scenes of every day life with references to art history and philosophy, creating a world that is fundamentally absurd, but not unlike our own. This selection, “Remix,” includes a new oil painting technique and an exploration of new figurative territory, with a stronger focus on the human form from his previous work.
About the artists:
Born in Ontario, Canada in 1975, Phil grew up with a very close love of art. Always drawing and sketching, he expressed his creativity early by writing and illustrating stories and cartoons. His family moved to the United States in 1990, where Phil developed his skills in all the high school art classes, and worked with a select group of young artists known as Smiling Shep Designs, producing banners and artwork for the surrounding community. In 1993 Phil enrolled in Pensacola Christian College’s Commercial Art program, where he studied for four years under established illustrators and designers. It was during this time the he began to realize a passion for painting, and for expressing the beauty he saw all around. Personal study and a deep love for the art of the Renaissance and late-Victorian eras increased both his knowledge of painterly innovation, and his fast-beating desire to become an artist himself. After illustrating for missionaries in Switzerland in 1999, Phil returned to the United States and began taking steps toward entering the professional world of painters. He became a charter member of the Portrait Society of America, and has displayed work in several public exhibitions and competitions.
Cymon Padilla was born and raised in Colorado Springs and has had a lifelong interest in drawing and painting. These interests crystallized in his first oil painting class at Pikes Peak Community College, where he received his Associate of Arts degree in 2012. His work is primarily focused on using humor and absurd juxtapositions to illustrate the relationship between human culture and the natural world. When he’s not at his day job or in the studio, you can find Cymon exploring the outdoor landscapes that inspire much of his art.