Local lowbrow art at liquidation prices

A one-day-only sale lets you scoop up art by tattoo and lowbrow artists including Hilary Jane, King Len, Angie Fey and Melissa Valiquette, Ghoulish Gary, Danielle Paré, Matt Darling and Rick Trembles for less than 100 bones.


Angus Philip Byers and Stef Eerie of Ker-Pow Productions

Need some art to spruce up your apartment, but you’re a) broke and b) not into, like, flowers and stuff? Then the folks over at Ker-Pow Productions have something right up your alley at this weekend’s Blood Money 2 art sale, where all pieces will ring up for $100 or less.

The production company is run by local artists Angus Philip Byers and Stef Eerie, who normally put on art sales biannually and invite all their tattooed friends and colleagues to either sell or buy art at affordable prices.

”Our whole reason for doing this in the first place is we like to get art into people’s homes,” Byers says.

Last year’s holiday $100-or-less art show brought in varied forms of artistic expression, including pieces painted entirely using one artist’s penis. Whether attendees can expect such, uh, pubic art this year remains to be seen.

The bulk of the pieces available will be prints, Byers says — but there will be some original or limited series art to be had as well. The non-fleshy work of a number of local and Toronto-bred tattoo artists, including Hilary Jane, King Len, Angie Fey and Melissa Valiquette will be on sale, as will the work of lowbrow artists like Ghoulish Gary, Danielle Paré, Matt Darling and Rick Trembles.

Byers, who recently began his tattoo apprenticeship under the aforementioned Valiquette, is known first for his sci-fi and horror-inspired paintings, whereas his tattoo mentor is still new to the idea of displaying her art on walls and not on skin.

“This is my boss and mentor’s second time exhibiting with us, and the first time she’s made something specifically for an art show. She does a lot of photorealist tattoos and portraits, but i think she was kind of shy to get it up on a wall,” Byers says.

“I wouldn’t say I had to twist her arm, but it’s kind of like being naked in public.”

The one-night-only Blood Money 2 happens this Saturday at Piranha Bar, usually a dimly lit concert space above a Frite Alors. It’s a pretty appropriate choice of venue, Byers says. “Stef and I are both art school dropouts — don’t expect anything too fancy or highfalutin out of it. It’s just a good time.” 

Blood Money 2 at Piranha Bar (680 Ste-Catherine W.), Dec. 15, 7 p.m., $2 entry (includes free raffle ticket)


Star Trek all-stars by Melissa Valiquette

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