Cereal Killer

30 x19, Framed, Giclee on Canvas

$675.00

Los Angeles artist, Patrick Ballesteros isn’t a household name yet, but he may be on his way. Over the last few years, he’s exhibited with some of the most prominent artists and rising stars in the underground, pop-surrealism, low-brow, and street-art movements. Such artists have included Munk One, Luke Chueh, Chet Zar, Brian M. Viveros, Yuka Yamaguchi, and Audrey Kawasaki, among others. Group shows are a great way to get your work noticed, but it’s also easy to have it overlooked, when placed amongst a sea of so many other strong pieces. This month, Ballesteros is showcasing a collection of new work in his first solo show at San Diego‘s SUBTEXT gallery. The exhibit, titled “Cereal Killer“, is a solid effort that will, hopefully, help to springboard the illustrator a little further into the fine-art spotlight.

Like much of his Ballesteros‘ work, the subject matter, the Cereal Killer show is rooted in Pop-Culture references. The title piece (pictured above) originally appeared last year, as part of the ISM gallery’s group exhibit, “Hello My Name Is_.” Patrick recognized the potential to explore the concept further and, subsequently, used the that original piece to establish the theme for the rest of his solo debut. Maintaining the dark, pun-centric inspiration, the rest of the exhibit was created with the objective of operating as segments in an unfolding storyline. Each of the newer works features a pair of Homicide detectives, exploring the crime scene of a fallen childrens cereal mascot. The film noir imagery is presented like a cross between a Saturday morning cartoon and the movie Se7en. In fact, the crime scene detectives even resemble Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt‘s characters from the film. By including the muderer (aka: “Sugar Bear”) somewhere in the composition, all but one of the prints (“Out for the Count”) provide an additional Where’s Waldo-style interactive element.

The opening night festivities took place on October 2nd, but the exhibit will remain up until November 1st for anyone who’s able to make it down to see it. Unfortunately, the gallery doesn’t seem to have set hours, so viewings are only available through private showings, held Monday-Saturday.

Here’s how Ballesteros explains it on his blog:

“It’s not fancy shmancy or a big deal, it’s just that the gallery has a limited number of staff and making appointments makes sure someone is there to open the door for you plus this means you check it out based on your schedule instead of set gallery hours!”

To arrange a viewing purchase and/or purchase any of the artwork below, please contact SUBTEXT gallery director, Dylan Jones through the email address, [email protected].

{A limited number of prints may also still be available.}