Vampires, witches, ghouls and all things that go bump in the night are the theme of the exhibition Monster Mash,now at Abend Gallery. The spooky show is curated by husband-and-wife team David Ethridge (curator of Abend Gallery and director of Gallery 1261) and dark fantasy illustrator Babs Webb, and features over two dozen artists drawing inspiration from old school monsters in popular culture. Think Dracula, the Boogeyman and Frankenstein’s monster.
Morgan Cameron, The End of Our Season, oil, 8 x 10"
Monster Mash also intentionally coincides with the popular social media-driven art challenge “Drawtober,” created by Timothy Von Rueden, which presents a series of creepy drawing prompts throughout the month of October. A collaborative graphite piece by Webb and Von Rueden, featuring a grim depiction of a scarecrow, will be included in the Abend Gallery show.
Audrey Benjaminsen, Miss Vampire, acrylic and gouache, 6 x 4"
“Timothy and I started that scarecrow piece as a part of an art challenge that I co-moderated in 2019 called Harvest Tales,” says Webb. “Horror in general has always been a hyperfixation for me. I was a very anxious kid, and my obsession with horror actually started out as a deep, panic-inducing fear. However, the older I got, the more comfortable I became around the grotesque. I also learned that by creating my own monsters, I took back the power that my fear robbed me of, and I was no longer afraid. It also, in a way, helped me understand and empathize with all the creatures that go bump in the night.”
Timothy Von Rueden and Babs Webb, Scarecrow, powdered graphite on bristol, 9½ x 6½"
Von Rueden adds, “Monsters have always interested me even as a child. I was obsessed with Halloween and typically the witches and vampires I saw on the screen and in my Goosebumps collection. I connected with them on some level that I wasn’t aware of at the time, being a weird art kid, and I felt the monsters were far more interesting and fun than the leads.”
Nadezda, Brothers Dracula, oil, 12 x 9"
Artist Morgan Cameron brings several paintings to the show, including a depiction of the Headless Horseman, a flock of demonic sheep, and a pile of jack-o’-lanterns in The End of Our Season. “This painting had a lot of meaning for me. For context, autumn is my favorite time of year. I work year round at an outdoor haunted attraction called Haunted Overload in New Hampshire. I’m one of the set/prop builders as well as scare actors. During ‘haunt’ season [in] October, we carve hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns for the attraction,” Cameron explains. “This painting shows a familiar scene to me, touched with a sweet sorrow. It depicts our hand-carved pumpkins piled into the back of a trailer to rot once our season has come to an end, and after having delighted thousands of Halloween fans.”
Monster Mash opened in mid-October and continues haunting patrons through November 12. —
Abend Gallery 1261 Delaware Street, Suite 2 • Denver, CO 80204 • (303) 355-0950 www.abendgallery.com
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