Los Angeles artist Van Arno joins Corey Helford for his second solo show at the gallery entitled “A Change of Skin”. The process of transformation and evolution is no easy task, and Arno skillfully narrates a dynamic collection of Darwinian daydreams in his latest series of oil paintings. Werewolves, centaurs and women shed their original skin, emerging as new breeds of enchanted beings and barbaric beasts. Joining them in the fray are representations of transformation by means of natural selection, cross-species parenting, Black Arts, and even the car crash that altered Montgomery Clift’s famous face. Larger and more ambitious than before, “A Change of Skin” marks a new direction for the artist as Arno introduces multiple characters and a looser, more gestural format to his work. The exhibition will also feature 100 limited-edition silk screen show prints that will be available only at the gallery.

In the loft, guest artist Melissa Forman unveils “Garden of Shadows”, her second series of works at Corey Helford Gallery. Inspired by ancient medicine, Forman’s dark yet delicate paintings study the Four Humours, a medieval method of diagnosing imbalances in patients. Each humour is visually illustrated combining its unique properties such as color, mood, temperament, disposition, and plants. Rich colors and deep black backgrounds add to the ethereal mood and a subtle sense of surrealism in each painting, ultimately sending a message of hope and good things to come during dark times. Open to the public, the reception for “A Change of Skin” and “Garden of Shadows” takes place on Saturday, October 3, and the show will be on view until October 24, 2009.Van ArnoVan Arno was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee and attended Otis parsons School of Design in Los Angeles, California where he supported himself working as a bouncer in nightclubs and adult video arcades. As a young illustrator, his images appeared on album covers, video game box art, and nightclub posters around the city. He has exhibited in galleries worldwide including Jonathan Levine Gallery, Shooting Gallery, Copro Nason, Mendenhall Sobieski and Galerie d’Art Yves Laroche. Several of his works were included in a national survey of Lowbrow painters at the Hollywood Art and Culture Center in Florida along with Mark Ryden, Chaz Bojorquez, Kenny Scharf, Anthony Ausgang and others. For more information about Van Arno please visit www.vanarno.comCorey Helford Gallery8522 Washington Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232 T: 310-287-2340www.coreyhelfordgallery.com