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"Edward Pelkey in his Pittsfield, MA studio, surrounded by in-progress canvas works

EDWARD PELKEY

The Quintessential 21st Century Artist

I have had the I Ching manual for many years. I would consider myself an idiot if I hadn't mastered it.

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ARTIST BIO

Studied at Art Students League of America, worked as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Had conversations with William Kentridge and Kenneth Noland. Mastered the technique of the Master of the Foliage as well as the Master of the Flying Guillotine. My work is a reflection of the visual and auditory stimulus that inspires me.  Comic books, Cubism and Dada.

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Portfolio

"Large neo-expressionist painting by Edward Pelkey featuring layered brushstrokes and vivid colors

RECEPTICON MUSIC VIDEO

I was asked to produce a music video for Wagon Christ (Luke Vibert) Recepticon his latest release, on People of Rhythm Records.  The imagery that leapt to mind was the long standing animation and television trope of a piano falling from the sky.  2020 can be summed up by a piano falling from the sky.  I also used inspiration from video games and Jan Van Eyck.

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MORE RECEPTICON DRAWINGS

Drawn in Procreate, I used an alien from the video game Space Fury; which was sampled in the the Wagon Christ track Recepticon, as my starting point for a character I dubbed the Space MC.  I added a bit a flourish with a fictive frame similar to those used in portraits of Christ by Jan Van Eyck and Petrus Christus.

"Large neo-expressionist painting by Edward Pelkey featuring layered brushstrokes and vivid colors

HUGE, UGLY, TERRIFYING MAN MONSTERS

Huge, Ugly, Terrifying Man Monsters.  My Daughter has named them, left to right, Bob, Merpel and B8 (pronounced bait).   This piece is a collision of art styles, where I painted characters from 1940 over a landscape by artist Antonio DeVity. These monsters were genetically engineered by Dr. Hugo Strange.  The resulting specimens were extremely strong, stupid, and dangerous. Strange set them loose in Gotham City.  I've taken the imagery created by Bill Finger and set them loose upon a parisian landscape.

"Large neo-expressionist painting by Edward Pelkey featuring layered brushstrokes and vivid colors

PHAT ZOMBIE

Painted over a Lee Reynolds, I depicted the "Boat Zombie" From Lucio Fulci's classic "Zombi" The zombie is fat implying he's living well as a zombie.  Big pimpin' unlike the other broke ass skinny zombies, plus he has a yacht.  This zombie is an iced out player ballin' out of control. Phat Zombie.

Large neo-expressionist painting by Edward Pelkey featuring layered brushstrokes and vivid colors

DRAMATIC FUNK

Inspired by Library Music titles and visual prompts, I've shown Clint Eastwood  with his 44 Magnum, in addition; depicted is Clint overlooking the city of San Francisco. Funk was never so dramatic.  Montana acrylic markers and RF pigment sticks are the weapons of choice here.

"Large neo-expressionist painting by Edward Pelkey featuring layered brushstrokes and vivid colors

HULK SMASH CUBISM

Bruce Banner appreciates the nuances of Cubism, however Hulk does not. Hulk hate Banner and all things Banner likes, therefore Hulk Smash Cubism.  Depicted is Hulk doing just that.

Large neo-expressionist painting by Edward Pelkey featuring layered brushstrokes and vivid colors

OXYCODONE

Utilizing blues reminiscent of the color of oxycodone pills, i present my interpretation of the effects of the drug.

Contemporary figure in oil on canvas by Pittsfield painter Edward Pelkey

SCIENCE

Making reference to Pulp art imagery, a hulking scientist at work in his laboratory, creating a woman.  The pose of the woman is taken from Barbara Bouchet in "Don't Torture a Duckling".  All of art is like a Frankenstein project, this piece is visual representation of that idea.

Contemporary figure in oil on canvas by Pittsfield painter Edward Pelkey

KINGSTON, JAMAICA

Kingston, Jamaica: Site of the the "Sunshine Showdown", the 1973 bout between heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier and George Foreman.  This painting was done with oil sticks. It is a reworking of the fight program, from a thumbnail photo of the program found in Ring Magazine.  The fight pitted two unbeaten fighters and didn't last two rounds, George Foreman grilled his opponent, knocking Joe Frazier down 6 times before the fight was ended.

Large neo-expressionist painting by Edward Pelkey featuring layered brushstrokes and vivid colors

JAMES BROWN VS LEE REYNOLDS

What started as a 4' x 5'  Lee Reynolds landscape painting becomes a quasi cubist bust of James Brown Emerging from the Earth, as I painted over the Reynolds Landscape a portrait of The Godfather of Soul.

Contemporary figure in oil on canvas by Pittsfield painter Edward Pelkey

THE NEW GUNFIGHTER IN TOWN

"The New Gunfighter in Town was #88 Gary Pettigrew..." John Facenda .  The phrase from a NFL Films show always stuck in my head, so I found a way to title a painting based on it here, again using Pulp art as a starting point.

"Large neo-expressionist painting by Edward Pelkey featuring layered brushstrokes and vivid colors

THE MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE VS LEE REYNOLDS

My first work painting over a pre existing artwork, in this case a painting of the Sea.  I added Fung Sheng Wu Chi, a blind monk who is the master of that feared weapon; the flying guillotine.

Contemporary figure in oil on canvas by Pittsfield painter Edward Pelkey

BUCK WILD : THE MYTH OF DIANA

The myth of Diana and Actaeon can be found in Ovid’s Metamorphoses.The tale recounts the fate of a young hunter named Actaeon, and his encounter with chaste Diana, goddess of the hunt.  The mortal man unwittingly stumbles upon Diana bathing. Diana, who, in a fit of embarrassed fury, splashes water upon Actaeon. He is transformed into a deer with a dappled hide and long antlers, robbed of his ability to speak, and thereafter promptly flees in fear.  His own dogs track him down and kill him, failing to recognize their master

"Large neo-expressionist painting by Edward Pelkey featuring layered brushstrokes and vivid colors

DOC SAVAGE VS LEE REYNOLDS

A diptych Lee reynolds is transformed into a Doc Savage encounter with an Octopus.  Doc Savage severing the tentacles of his opponent.

"Large neo-expressionist painting by Edward Pelkey featuring layered brushstrokes and vivid colors

RZA

A quick oil sketch of The RZA

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"I never clean my brushes properly."

Master of the Flying Guillotine

"Recepticon" by Wagon Christ (Official Music Video). Video created by B17- Bomber aka Edward Pelkey
04:26
Luke Vibert- Turn (Official Video)
02:59
Pure Painting- The Drinking Contest of Heracles and Dionysus
13:44

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