CJ Metzger and Miss Mindy

“The Secret Lives of Dolls”

Multi – Faceted Deluxe Reception:
March 24th 6pm – 10pm Show ends May 5th

Collector and Media Preview Days:
March 22 and March 23 12 noon – 6pm

Artists will be accompanied by Miss Penny Star Jr. and friends wearing baroque costumes and wigs designed by the artists. PLUS special pre-sale for Limited #’d Edition Children’s Book Box-Set, “Artist Sisters: Box of Stories”.

Gallery Revisited is ecstatic to present the Premiere Solo Show of artist sisters CJ Metzger and Miss Mindy. The gallery will be transformed into multi-dimensional installation views using the walls and foreground to create playful-appearing vignettes. At first glance it will be breathtakingly bittersweet and full of serene whimsy. Closer inspection will reveal the subtle nuances of the work and the intimate details of stories being told.

The show, “The Secret Lives of Dolls” is very timely considering the influx of women artist exhibitions in Los Angeles; “Wack!”…at MOCA, Barnsdall Art Park “Southern California Women Artists, 1980- 2006”, RedCat feminist film series.

The work evolves around the notion of women, their friends and relationships in fantastical places - places close to home and those found in reality as well as in our thoughts. Not to be confused with a feminist ideology, this show relishes the important roles that are inherently feminine while at the same time embracing youth and acceptance.

“Exploring the sadness over the loss of a bird, the feeling of manipulation, being trapped by expectations, or simply having butterflies in your belly -- these emotions, love, fear, angst, and humor are vividly present in our work in a whimsical, bittersweet, and hauntingly delicate way.”
CJ Metzger

CJ Metzger and Miss Mindy’s work falls into the recently coined genre, “Pop Surrealism”. Although they embrace this new label they do prefer to identify with the history of art making. Their inspiration stems from Craft and Folk Art as evident in the materials that they use, and the inherent themes that surround domesticity, every day occurrences and simple global feelings. They circle around the fringe of their hottest peers, comfortable in their individual fortitude to create work void of pretence and focusing on matters of individual expression.

The sisters were born into a family of artists and designers who have been an inspiration. Their grandmother worked as an ink and painter at Disney in the 1930s, grandfather was an illustrator, muralist and puppeteer, and their mother, an accomplished mask maker and artisan. Together they are a collaborative team and each others’ muse.

“For our current show we collaborated on a number of new pieces, taking turns at creating paintings that we pass back and forth like a ball in the school yard. We do this for the most part without stepping on one another’s creative toes, somehow managing to not kill each other and coming up with some surprisingly splendid imagery.”
Miss Mindy

CJ Metzger creates paintings and mixed media pieces using acrylics and oils and collage that blend surreal and whimsical imagery. Her work transcends basic illustration through their narration coupled by compelling intent. She received a BA in Art from Cal State Los Angeles and an MA in Public Art Administration from USC. Metzger revels in the diversity of her career path which has taken her from product design and branding to independent business woman. Her work can be found in numerous private national and international collections.

Miss Mindy has an affinity for past times, and loves to explore mood, expressions and bizarre humor. Her work consists mainly of woodcut paintings, dioramas and shadow boxes, in addition to fluid ink drawings and sketches. Her method evokes a vintage and folk art feel using rough brush strokes and several mediums. Mindy attended several art and animation trade schools while interning for artists and designers and fully enjoys her rebellious ability to succeed without the confines of academic dogma – from illustration to product development to exhibitions. Her work is in numerous private collections nationwide and abroad.