The Art of Comedy - Featuring Nicolas Caesar

The Art of Comedy

Thursday July 2, 2009

6-9 PM

The Comedy Underground

109 South Washington Street (in Occidental Park)

Seattle WA 98104

The Comedy Underground presents The Art of Comedy. This gallery show takes place in the lobby of the world-famous Comedy Underground and features artwork that is either humorous in nature, or made by stand up comedians.

This month we feature the artwork of Nicolas Caesar.

Nicolas Caesar: http://www.scary-art.com/

B. 1973, Santa Clara, CA

Nicolas Caesar was a shy child born in the California suburbs. Fuelled by monster comics and classic horror movies - he sought to capture them through illustration, sometimes even trying to trace the flashing images from his television.

Between a compulsion to collect and compulsion to create he started building sculptures in his High School years. His creations consisted of everything from paperclips, bones, broken toys, to anything and everything he found walking the streets of San Jose. The more he walked the more his creations grew.

In 1992 he began showing his art as backdrops for local industrial bands at the late Cactus club in San Jose. As his reputation grew he then expanded his showings to San Francisco, becoming a staple in the growing fringe culture of goth/industrial/bondage clubs. "They were the only ones who would have me, every gallery I approached thought my art was (physically) dangerous".

In 2003 Nicolas returned to painting as a friend said "It's easier for someone to hang a 16x20 painting in their one bedroom Bay Area apartment than it is to make space for a inanimate roommate". He debuted his paintings in April 2003 at The Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco and sold every one. Now you can find him painting 24/7.

Considered by most as a dark outsider folk artist; Nicolas Caesar makes it clear even though he's now accepted and embraced by cutting edge galleries, he wont turn down a show in a donut shop. Nicolas Caesar is married to photographer Sarah Karas and they live in the Bay Area's Castro Valley. They have a hermit crab named Pee Wee.