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New MONDO GALLERY Art Show Looks into the Eyes of Pop Culture Icons

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and that’s true not only of real people, but fictional ones as well. After all, most of pop culture’s most recognized icons are instantly identifiable by just a pair of eyeballs. A few years back, artist Jason Edmiston created a whole series of paintings featuring the eyes of famous figures from every area of popular culture, titling the collection Eyes Without a Face. Each painting was rendered in actual size, so giant characters like King Kong were depicted in paintings several feet wide, while characters from The LEGO Movie were teeny tiny.

Now, Edmiston returns to the Mondo Gallery in Austin, Texas with a huge collection of original art for Eyes Without a Face 2, showcasing 100 new acrylic paintings and preliminary pencils of iconic pop culture eyes from movies, TV, comics, games, and more. Presented again in life-sized proportions, we’ll see the peepers of tiny toy people and the fiery orbs of snarling behemoths alike.

Created over a period of six months, the show boasts Jason’s largest painting ever, at 8 1/2 feet tall and 22 feet long, and that is only one part of what Edmiston promises to be his most engaging show yet. The opening reception will take place on February 9 from 7 to 10 PM and the series will display from February 9 to February 17. You can check out four pieces from this show—Prince from the “Batdance” video, No-Face from Spirited Away, the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro, and legendary wrestler Randy Macho Man Savage—down in our gallery below.

In a statement, artist Jason Edmiston said, “I’ve always appreciated the challenge of capturing the essence of a character with just the bare essentials, and most of the time it comes down the eyes. The expression of a subject correctly captured can breed emotion in the viewer, and subtleties can imply volumes. Keeping with the series, these portraits are all cropped to a 3:1 landscape ratio, as if you’re viewing these characters through a slot in a door to an exclusive club. I’m sure folks that attend the show will find it to be my most arresting gallery experience to date. Eyes will surround you in 360 degrees, and possibly overwhelm as they stare back at you. I’m working hard to make sure attendees will have a visceral reaction and really enjoy the experience.”

Commenting on the show, Mondo Creative Director and Co-Founder Rob Jones said, “It’s a show you need to catch in person to fully appreciate. Always leaves my jaw twitching on the linoleum to see Jason’s skill in the acrylic flesh. The pair of eyes you’ll likely notice most at the gallery are Jason’s as they excitedly pop while sharing tales of creating this ocular menagerie.”

For more information on the show, be sure to check out Mondo Tees’ website by clicking here, as well as their Twitter , Instagram, and Facebook accounts. And for more info on artist Jason Edmiston, visit his website and his Facebook page.

What do you make of this latest Mondo Gallery Show? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: Jason Edmiston

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