Opening Reception Saturday, April 17, 2010 from 7?10pm On View April 17 - May 5, 2010

Something brilliant is in the air this April at Corey Helford Gallery when Los Angeles artist Joshua Petker unveils his highly-anticipated new collection of works entitled “Between Butterflies”.

Petker’s second solo exhibition at the gallery is his most stunning to date, an exquisite showstopper of sophistication and style. Petker’s new series of works displays a thematic evolution, creating narratives about change and renewal, while combining his signature style of figurative work with unique color fields following in, and expanding upon, the American tradition of beautiful yet angry abstract art. Drawing inspiration from fashion and beauty, Petker’s painted muses are catalysts of change and icons of reinvention, adorned in gold and neon accents.

Petker explains, “I can create a new reality for this person or image. I can put them in a new context, or in new colors. But that’s what we all do with fashion. Look at Lady Gaga or more interestingly the people who admire her. She creates new identities for herself. New contexts. Humans yearn to do this, - create meaning and context - and we admire those that do this visually. This show explores my interest in the fleeting identities based on fashion and beauty, the idea that a look, a style, or fame itself can be an identity with purpose. Or, for others of a religious nature, how their belief in what happens after life constructs their identity and purpose while alive.”

The past year has been a period of transformation and growth for Petker, himself. The artist recently collaborated with fashion designer Jared Gold to produce one of the most memorable fashion events in Los Angeles, Gold vs Petker. Open to the public, the reception for “Between Butterflies” will take place on Saturday, April 17 from 7 to 10pm, and the show will be exhibited until May 5, 2010.

About Joshua Petker Born and raised in California, Joshua Petker spent his youth between San Francisco and Los Angeles. He attended The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington where he earned his BA. However, it was writing graffiti at age fourteen that laid the groundwork for his fine art career. A self-taught painter, Petker studied Western literature, art and culture, taking cues from Vincent Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt to Andy Warhol and Darby Crash. In 2005, Petker’s work was selected by LACMA curator Howard Fox to be included in the museum’s Art Here and Now program, and his paintings have garnered sold-out exhibitions at numerous galleries on the West Coast. Petker’s paintings are featured in private collections worldwide including the United States, Japan, Australia, and Europe. For more information about Joshua Petker, please visit www.joshuapetker.com.

Corey Helford Gallery 8522 Washington Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232 T: 310-287-2340