Second Street Gallery is pleased to present water.poison.drink.dive., a new exhibition by artist Lana Guerra. water. poison.drink.dive. is an exhibition of dynamic, whimsical paintings and puppets created in a childlike style often characterized as “Outsider Art” or Art Brut.” Taking inspiration from urban graffiti, old artifacts, primitive masks, antique dolls, and weathered and decaying architecture, Guerra’s work explores themes of childhood, circus sideshows, New Orleans Voodoo, and her own twisted imagination. Guerra’s paintings are created as a result of pure and authentic creative impulses over time, through painting, drawing, erasing, re-working, and layering, using an improvisational, almost stream-of-consciousness, technique. Her style has often been compared with the work of Jean Dubuffet, Paul Klee, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Guerra is a mixed media artist whose work involves paintings, dolls, puppets, photography, and stop motion animation. She also creates fanciful wigs and costumes for events ranging from Burning Man to performances at Walt Disney World. The artist is based out of New Orleans, Louisiana where she is represented by The Funeral Gallery. Guerra’s artwork has been exhibited extensively throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, England, Turkey, and France. Guerra is also the owner and creator of the art brand, Crude Things which has in recent years developed its own online cult following.

water. poison.drink.dive. opened at Second Street Gallery on First Friday, September 7, 2018 from 6:00-8:00 pm. The artist traveled to Charlottesville for a special First Friday Reception and Puppet Show Performance on Friday, October 5. The event on October 5 ran from 5:30-7:30pm with the performance taking place at 6:30pm.