Opening Reception: Thursday, Oct 6,

5pm till late

* sounds by Electroleum and Freemountain Pulsewave

Show runs from October 6 - 29

111 Minna Gallery

111 Minna Street (at Second)

San Francisco, CA 94105

Below, Rob describes his process of the three states of materiality that his collaged forms take in this show:

“Select areas of imagery are first dissected, then carefully brought back to life one connection at a time through the surgical practice known as collage. This life, as these frankensteined “originals,” is similar to childhood- finite in time that it exists, given the nature of the materials used. That childlike existence is then captured and brought into adulthood when I create a second life as these “characters” are re-imagined and printed and painted on wood. Finally, if their Creator is inspired enough by their previous existences, they make it into the spirit-world through film and animation. It is here they are finally allowed to move and have everlasting life. I am interested in taking these collages to a “larger than life” place by physically reproducing them on a large scale, and animating and projecting them. In the past, similar collage works have only been shown in small frames with a magnifying glass. Now the work will be accessible from anywhere in the room.”
-Rob Reger, artist

greetings from comic con! we're here helping our friends Emily the Strange with a gallery next to their booth -- a little calm spot to hang and see art -- someone said we were a respite in the storm of the crowds and aggressive imagery --- we agree. : )

We are featuring Emily's creator Rob Reger's personal work and his Emily inspired fine art, along with Buzz Parker's detailed illustrations, work by cut-out artist Turo Scissorhands and Reger's collaborative prints with punk photographer Jenny Lens.
Our living room set up is much cozier thanks to our friends at Boomerang for Modern, a beautiful mid-century design store in San Diego's Little Italy. Thanks Boomerang! If you're at the con, come visit us! Booth #4637
XO

Rob Reger solo show Nov 20 in Pasadena with Beno + Minnie

New Characters Emerge from Emily the Strange Creator Rob Reger

November 8, 2010. Rob Reger, the force behind the iconic Emily the Strange character, opens a solo show at Switcheroo in Pasadena on November 20. The show titled: FACING STRANGE: the Characters of Rob Reger showcases Reger’s recent painting series of interlocking characters and whimsical design. The opening reception is from 7-10pm; Reger’s experimental band Beno + Minnie will play a short set that evening. The show runs through January 15 by appointment.

In this body of work, Reger’s trademark bold graphic design is repurposed and dosed with a colorful serving of psychedelia to reveal a world of new friends and beasts. Subtle narratives emerge, playfully tapping into mysticism, optical illusions, and hallucinations. In a similar vein as Reger’s love of word play, hidden messages, and backward masking, FACING STRANGE demonstrates a balance of opposing forces with characters and shapes all intended for viewing in multiple directions.

Switcheroo is run by artists Amanda Visell and Michelle Valigura. It’s located near the intersection of South Raymond and California, in Pasadena.

FACING STRANGE: the Characters of Rob Reger
Opening: Saturday, November 20th (7-10 PM)
November 21- January 15, by appointment

Switcheroo Workshop & Gallery
543-b S Raymond
Pasadena, CA 91105

www.myswitcheroo.com
Gallery contact: hi@myswitcheroo.com
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ROB REGER
Rob Reger is the founder, owner, creative director and president of Cosmic Debris - a design house based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rob and Cosmic introduced the world to Emily the Strange, now an international icon for empowering young alternative girls. Rob has been designing Emily for over a decade and has generated millions of fans of the character. Emily’s voice and image can be found in at 37 countries, through the outlets of Chronicle books, series of Harper Collins novels, Dark Horse Comics, an Epiphone guitar, a clothing line, and an upcoming live action film with Universal Pictures and the Producer of the Hellboy series, 30 Days of Night, and The Mask.

Reger and Cosmic Debris grew out of the DIY punk and guerrilla art aesthetic of the eighties in Southern California, and a fondness for the surrealist art movement. He continues to mix bold graphic design with a pop culture sensibility. Reger holds a B.F.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a M.F.A. in printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute. His paintings, printmaking, watercolors, and collage have been shown in galleries around the world. Outside of Emily and art-making, Reger plays music with his fiancé Aimee Friberg in their experimental band Beno + Minnie.

Chantal Claret (Morningwood) and James Euringer (Jimmy Urine of Mindless Self Indulgence) visited Gallery Extraña and the Emily the Strange headquarters this morning------after the My Summer Fantasy exhibit and Emily art tour, Emily had very little left to say...

Mark your calendars for next Friday, October 1st when Strangerous, an exhibition in collaboration with Rob Reger opens at Creative Growth in Oakland. Reger is a Bay Area artist and the creative force behind illustrated heroine, Emily the Strange (he's also Gallery Extraña's co-founder). Strangerous features artwork by Creative Growth artists: Cedric Johnson, David Albertsen, Dinah Shapiro, Donald Mitchell, Franna Lusson, Gail Lewis, George Wilson, Jade Saren, John Martin, Juan Aguilera, Merritt Wallace, Nick Pagan andRodney Ridge . Also featuring Rob Reger’s own ‘rotating paintings.’ Exhibition is on view October 1 – November 12, 2010.

With an opening party, that will take place during Oakland’s monthly Art Murmur event, Strangerousis a marriage of the strange and the dangerous, a fitting Halloween-season-exhibition.

Curator, Rob Reger comes from a pop culture-neo-surrealist aesthetic in his personal artwork, and naturally gravitated toward the more abstract and peculiar side of Creative Growth artist’s work. Reger says about working with Creative Growth, “I'm blown away by what the artists here in the Studio do, how they approach art making, and their unique visions and explanations, (or not!) for their work. There is an absolute contagious creative spirit living at Creative Growth."

About Rob Reger: Reger’s local design house, Cosmic Debris—grew from a tangle of roots joining the DIY punk scene of the ‘eighties with guerilla art, surrealism, and the psychedelic explosion of the ‘sixties. Reger introduced the world to Emily the Strange—an icon of empowerment for young alternative girls and outsiders of all ages.

Featuring music by the all girl, middle-school- rock-band: Poison Apple Pie and Bar by ERA, Oakland

Also on view: Artwork from the students of Summer Scholarship Program 2010. Check out and collect the visionary work made by high-school aged artists with disabilities who have participated in the Creative Growth studio during Summer 2010.

About Creative Growth: Creative Growth Art Center serves adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities, providing a stimulating environment for artistic instruction, gallery promotion and personal expression. Artwork fostered in this unique environment is included in prominent collections and museums worldwide.


WHAT: Strangerous: An exhibition curated by Bay Area artist Rob Reger.

WHEN: Exhibition and opening event during Oakland Art Murmur, Friday, October 1, 2010 from 5:00-9:00pm. Gallery event is free and open to the public. Also open Saturday, October 2, 11am-4pm. On view from October 1 to November 12, 2010.

WHERE: Creative Growth Art Center Gallery, 355 24th St., Oakland, CA 94612, (near 19th St. BART).

PUBLIC INFO: For more information call 510/836-2340 ext.15

PRESS PREVIEW: September 30, by appointment

IMAGES UPON REQUEST:jennifer@creativegrowth.org


FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jennifer O’Neal, Curator / Gallery Manager:

jennifer@creativegrowth.org

Tom di Maria, Director:

tom@creativegrowth.org

Website: http://www.creativegrowth.org/

Have you checked out the Emily concept store yet (inside the gallery salon space)? We're open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 1-6pm. J0in us for Beno + Minnie performance at 3pm tomorrow at the gallery.

The opening for the Art of Emily show and new Emily the Strange concept shop was a blast-- Here's a couple snaps and check out more images from the party at the link below...


a sneak peek from the windows...pre-party--here's the space


pics of the opening here : http://www.emilystrange.com/blog/index.cfm/2010/3/8/Art-Of-Emily-Art-Show-Opening-Night-Pics

Art of Emily... coming in March

The Art of Emily: A Strange Collection, an exhibition of paintings, original cut-outs, limited edition prints and other mixed media by Emily the Strange artists opens March 5 at Gallery Extraña

March 5th- 29th, 2010

Artist's Reception- Friday, March 5th, 6:00 – 10:00 pm

Gallery Extraña
2912 Telegraph Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94705
http://galleryextrana.blogspot.com/


On the heels of the release of The Art of Emily the Strange published by Dark Horse Books this month, Gallery Extraña presents The Art of Emily: A Strange Collection; the exhibit opens on Friday, March 5 from 6-10 pm. Emily the Strange creator Rob Reger and fellow Emily artists Buzz Parker, Brian Brooks, Nicomi ‘Nix’ Turner and Justin Barry will be present. The opening reception will feature DJ sets by Emily novel co-author Jessica Gruner, She-Bible co-founder Stacy Rodgers and Amedee Ito—all SF local ladies who have played crucial roles in shaping Emily the Strange.

The exhibition will feature previously un-exhibited original artwork, limited edition prints and many rarely seen treasures from the archives of Emily the Strange and her kitties. Signed copies of The Art of Emily the Strange will be available for purchase. “We’re thrilled to present the first Emily show in the Bay Area in over two years at Gallery Extraña, our home base head-quarters and gallery,” says Rob Reger. The Art of Emily: A Strange Collection highlights the art and design that has put Emily the Strange on the map as an international icon for Strange.

The Art of Emily: A Strange Collection runs through March 29th. Limited Emily the Strange merchandise, including t-shirts, apparel, accessories and the new Oddisee Talking BoardTM will be available for sale during the run of the show. The gallery is open on Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 1 -6 pm for the duration of the show. For more info see http://galleryextrana.blogspot.com. Gallery Extraña is located at 2912 Telegraph Avenue (1 block north of Ashby Avenue) in Berkeley, California.


ABOUT EMILY THE STRANGE
Created by Rob Reger and his company Cosmic Debris in 1993, Emily the Strange has become an internationally known icon for individualism, female empowerment, and do-it-yourself style. Born from the San Francisco graphic arts community, Emily graces a full, rock-influenced fashion clothing and accessory line, including everything from T-shirts, dresses, and underwear to toys, guitars, and school supplies. She is the featured character in a series of comic books from Dark Horse Comics, four hardbound graphic novellas for Chronicle Books, and a series of young adult novels from Harper Collins. For more information about Emily the Strange, visit http://www.emilystrange.com or for press related inquiries contact Jennifer Sullivan jennifer.sullivan@gatorgroup.com.


ABOUT GALLERY EXTRAÑA

Gallery Extraña was founded by Emily the Strange creator Rob Reger and artist, curator, and filmmaker Aimee Friberg in the spring of 2008. Its mission is to showcase contemporary work by emerging, mid-career and established artists primarily from the Bay Area. In addition to exhibiting eccentric, “strange”, and off-center work, Gallery Extraña is an alternative screening and performance space. Located in the Cosmic Debris Design House, the open gallery hours are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 1-6 pm. For more information, visit http://galleryextrana.blogspot.com/ or contact the gallery: galleryextrana@gmail.com.

Rob Reger unveils Change of Strange at Varnish Gallery in SF

we're back from much romping and stomping to tell you that we're stoked about this:



PRESS RELEASE – February 2, 2008

Varnish Fine Art presents: Rob Reger: Change of Strange
February 17 – March 28, 2009
Opening Reception Friday February 20, 7-10pm

[press contact below]


Change of Strange emerges from Emily the Strange creator Rob Reger

San Francisco, CA, February 2, 2009. This dynamic and interactive solo painting exhibition of interlocking characters and whimsical design opens at Varnish Fine Art on February 20 from 7 – 10 pm. The opening party will feature a wee bit of ‘Vampa White’ spectacle with a secret special guest directing the 360 degree rotation of the paintings. On the heels of opening an Emily store in Greece and completing the first novel for his character Emily the Strange, this is Reger’s first solo painting show without Emily in five years. Change of Strange demonstrates a change of heart. The show will run through March 27, 2009.

In this new body of work, Reger strays from Emily’s palette of red, white and black with bright, uninhibited colors. His trademark bold yet whimsical design is repurposed to reveal a world of new friends and beasts. Subtle narratives emerge, playfully tapping into mysticism, optical illusions, and hallucinations of the heart. Coming from the love of word play, hidden messages, and backward masking, Reger utilizes a yin yang approach with this work. He demonstrates a balance of many opposing forces, in order to show us that for every evil there is good around the corner.

With a tip of the hat to MC Escher and his interlocking beasts and a nod to Dr. Seuss, parallels are also drawn with the vibrant geometric shapes and bold folk art colors of Alexander Girard’s design. There is truly no such thing as upside-down in Change of Strange --- incorporating a patent-pending device designed for this show, the artwork is viewable 2-ways without removal from the wall. In this rotation new characters emerge, continuing the narrative and psychedelic fantasy.


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ROB REGER
Rob Reger is the founder, owner, creative director and president of Cosmic Debris - a design house based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rob and Cosmic introduced the world to Emily the Strange, now the international icon for empowering young alternative girls. Rob has been designing Emily for over a decade and has generated millions of fans of the character. Emily’s voice and image can be found in at least 26 countries, through the outlets of Chronicle books, a series of Dark Horse comics, a limited edition of Jones Soda, an Epiphone guitar, a line of Manic Panic hair products, an upcoming Harper Collins novel, and an upcoming Emily the Strange film from the producer of the Hell Boy series, 30 Days of Night, and The Mask.

Reger and Cosmic Debris grew out of the DIY punk and guerrilla art aesthetic of the eighties, and a fondness for the surrealist art movement. He continues to mix sophisticatedly simple graphic design with a pop culture surrealist sensibility. Reger has an extensive fine arts background, with a B.F.A from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a M.F.A in printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute. His oil paintings, printmaking, watercolors, and collage have been shown in galleries around the world: Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berlin, Milan, Hong Kong, Sydney, and Santa Cruz.

Outside of Emily and painting, Reger plays music with bands Beno + Minnie and This Isn’t It and co-directs Gallery Extraña, which exhibits contemporary eccentric artwork, located in the Emily the Strange headquarters in Berkeley, California.


VARNISH
Gallery Directors Jennifer Rogers and Kerri Stephens opened Varnish Fine Art on April 19, 2003. Beginning with the remains of a brewery built just after the 1906 earthquake, Rogers and Stephens designed and rebuilt the space, including a main gallery, mezzanine gallery and wine bar, combining gallery with community.

VARNISH Fine Art Press Contact:
Jennifer Rogers
415-222-6131
q@varnishfineart.com
77 Natoma Street, San Francisco, CA 94105