Gallery of the Month: October

Welcome to the newest gallery in JAC’s Gallery of the Month series, where we showcase a wide range of art and writing under unique monthly themes. Check back on the first of each month for a new collection of works by the talented artists in the JAC network. To view past galleries of the month, see our Gallery Archive. 

Please fill out this form if you are interested in utilizing images from the galleries or portfolios for your own purposes. If you would like to connect with any of the featured artists, contact us. We ask that you do not utilize any of the artwork you see here without requesting permission to do so. We strongly believe that artists should have full agency over their work, so we do not share it with other entities without their consent.

For October’s Gallery of the Month, we have chosen to showcase artwork which features ominous and unsettling imagery as a nod to the halloween season. You’ll find that this collection spans across a wide range of topics and themes, from festively spooky to the abstract and unknown — even to the pieces which creep into the territory of fear inducing.

While identifying artwork that explores that which makes us feel unsettled (which intentionally plays upon both the viewer’s and the creator’s fear), we often found ourselves noticing recurring symbolism and common themes. Some works seemed to be more clearly paying homage to iconic films or scary and whimsical characters from childhood stories, and others seemed tied to narratives of personal struggle and suffering or critiques of the world at large. These pieces often utilize horrific and frightening imagery to embody pain, illustrate frustration, or speak to hopelessness and desperation.

This collection helps us think about how we interact with our fears. The ability to create “scary” artwork offers one the unique opportunity to both name and confront that which invokes feelings of discomfort.  Whether it’s something more lighthearted or true fears that keep us up at night. Viewing work which deliberately pulls the viewer away from their comfort zone alongside others allows us to immediately identify with others who feel fear.

We hope you enjoy this month’s theme: Ominous

“Halloween: Fall Fun-Time,” Gary English
“The Pier,” Brian Hindson
“Harley,” Brian Hindson
“Halloween Letter,” Danny Ashton
“1930 Packard,” Danny Ashton
“Swamp Monster,” Danny Ashton
“Paranormal Investigators,” Danny Ashton
“Wormhole,” Danny Ashton
“Genjis Horse Murasaki,” Cedar Annenkovna
“The Eye of the Joshua Tree,” Cedar Annenkovna
“Untitled,” Chad Merrill
“Gustave Courbet,” Chad Merrill
“Heads or Tails,” Chad Merrill
“Self Portrait With Death,” Chad Merrill
“Don’t Be Scared of the Clown,” Chad Merrill
“Untitled,” Chad Merrill
“Untitled,” Melissa Anne Hernandez
“Eyes,” Melissa Anne Hernandez
Amber Daniel
Amber Daniel
“Not Titled”, Samson Loynachan
“Threatening Sky,” Chris Schulze
“Moonrise,” Chris Schulze
An Island, oil on panel, courtesy of author
“Bangs 1,” Conor Broderick
“The Mother,” by Douglas Earls
“Just Fed,” by Douglas Earls
“Black Marigolds,” by Douglas Earls
“Flirting,” by Douglas Earls
“Boulder #2,” by Douglas Earls
“Self-portrait,” Andrew Kirchner
“Not Titled”, Tony R. Gross
“Untitled,” David Paul Horne
“Diversity,” Ernesto Ramirez
“Untitled”, RNEL
“Untitled”, RNEL
“High Sanctuary,” Conor Broderick
“Not Titled”,Samson Loynachan
“Faces,” Jackey Sollars
“Chess Board,” Andrew Kirchner
“Metaphor for Heart,” Conor Broderick
“Untitled,” Luis Sanchez
“Untitled,” John Zenc
“Untitled,” John Zenc
“Sorrow,” Athena Williams
William B. Livingston III
“Right Eye Wrong,” Daniel Owens
William B. Livingston III
“Untitled,” Corey J. Hayes
“Untitled,” Corey J. Hayes
“Untitled,” Gregory Bolden
“Sickey Mouse One Leg 1,” Vince Vader
“Long Nose Puppy Pop,” Vince Vader
“Long Nose Puppy Pop,” Vince Vader
“Untitled,” Vince Vader
“Lady in Hat,” Jacek Kolodziejczyk
“Java Nightcap kangaroo,” by Jonathan Cashion
Tomás
Not Titled, Nathan Riggs
Not Titled, Nathan Riggs
Artist: David Campos
“Untitled,” Eric
“Untitled,” Alaska
“Untitled,” Glenn Allen Javens
by Kara Walker
“Untitled,” Eric
“Not Titled”, Skyler Lake
“Untitled,” Lesley Rae Burdick
Friedrich Monk
“Untitled,” Melissa Anne Hernandez
“Not Titled”, Robert Deninno
“Spider Man”, RNEL
“Untitled,” Jeremy L. Jones
“Not Titled”, Tomás
“Baby Peeling Head Open,” Carole Alden
“Untitled,” Luis Sanchez
Shawn Scott Batchelder
“Undecided,” Daniel Owens
Drawing by Jimmy Anderson
“Water,” Gary Harrell
“Untitled,” Eric
Carlos de Gabarrette
“Digital Rendering of Stunner 2,” Matthew Salett
“Digital Rendering of Sniper J 1,” Matthew Salett
“Eye Rose Skull,” Curtis Mahaffey
“Not Titled”, Victoria Page
“Joker’s Wheel,” Charlie Castillo
“Chemo Girl,” Gabriel Rodriguez
“Untitled,” Jesse Kruze
“Untitled,” Jesse Kruze
“Untitled,” Jesse Kruze
“Untitled,” Eric

Do you have feedback or an idea for a future gallery of the month? Submit your suggestions here.