Art of Dark @ 1984 Studios

Aaron Frisby was born in Oklahoma in 1976.  His output spans the spectrum concerning media, from sound to photography, sculpture to paint.  His work has been exhibited in a variety of group and solo shows around the world, from Seoul to San Jose, Brooklyn to London.  Most recently, his work is seen as the cover for Patti Smith’s serialized novel: The Melting.

Formal Statement

Anastasiya was born in Eastern Europe and immigrated with her parents to the US when she was fourteen. She started drawing and painting in her early childhood and received a figure-based atelier training growing up. Anastasiya’s meandering path in visual arts educational took her through the rigor of earning professional Bachelors and Masters degrees in architecture from The Cooper Union and University of Texas at Arlington, respectively. She has received additional training with established realist painters both privately and in workshops. The concoction of architectural rigor, purity of realism and strong personal narrative define Anastasiya’s work today. Parallel to her fine arts persuits, Anastasiya begun her journey into iconography searching to marry her faith in Christ and love of portraiture.

She is recognized as an Associate Living Master by the Art Renewal Center, additionally she has been awarded recognition by the European Museum of Modern Art, National Portrait Society, Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Poets Artists, and many others. Anastasiya’s work has been published in Beautiful Bizarre, and many Goss183 issues. Anastasiya’s work is available at by 33 Contemporary gallery in Chicago. Her work is also found in private collections across United States and around the world. Currently, Anastasiya draws and paints fervently in her studio in Dallas with support of her husband and children.

Artist Statement

I use formless substances to capture human souls on the flatness of my canvas.

Throughout my life I have used different drawing and painting materials. At some point, however, I understood that a life-time is not enough to truly learn something. Thus, I chose to focus on oil and charcoal. Both of these are formless and completely pliable substances. These substances do exactly what I ask them as they are willing to subvert their own will for the sake of my vision. I can mold them into souls.

I find the soul somewhere in the expression of the individual’s face and hands. Everything else is armature. I ponder on the composition, research relevant history, perform preliminary studies, calibrate the proportions, solve anatomical problems, harmonize colors, construct perspective. All of these tasks are a prelude to that almost holy instance when the subject, my canvas, and I will come to be one. Once I complete my preparation I stand still and dive into the irrational and enigmatic act of finding that ineffable missing entity that will render this particular person to be true. I like to think of it as the soul. Soul doesn’t come in tubes or pencils, but the success for its search certainly depends on the integrity of my prelude. Soul tends to come some late hour when time has lost its meaning because I am myself lost in the wilderness of my search. I search some more and don’t stop until the flatness of my canvas is looking back at me with the gaze I know, until I know who is looking at me without turning my head to see. Sometimes I fail. But I do it again, because I am not allowed to stop until I succeed. The word genius comes from Latin – it means guardian angel. I am far from a genius, but I continuously strive to do my part in the hope for his help in capturing my subject’s soul, one timeless night.

I engage in these artistic pursuits because my soul is thirsty for a dialogue. Sartre felt that “hell is other people.” I think Sartre was wrong — monologue is hell. I want to make sure I am not in hell, that is my motive. Each soul that I capture, I keep with me forever. This collection of souls is my treasure, a treasure that moths could never destroy, though they may one day destroy all of my work. Even when there is no-one here, I know that I am forever entitled to a dialogue.

XVALA is an artist whose work most often lies at the intersection of art and technology, appropriating spaces, materials, and subject matter that others have overlooked as artistic tools. He is known for his Fear Google campaign, which targeted the unavoidable loss of privacy in modern life, and he made international headlines No Delete, an exhibition stemming from the release of nude celebrity photos that were made public by hackers, again showcasing our loss of control in the Internet Age. He called his use of these types of images "disruptive innovation".

Due to his tendency toward appropriation art, XVALA is often compared to Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Richard Prince. He also has been compared to Banksy for his occasional forays into street art.

Formal Statement

Jay Sage is an award-winning Oklahoma based artist showing and working both nationally and internationally. He is represented in many prestigious collections and he continually aspires to achieve his successes by striving to produce work that conveys a broad spectrum of feelings. Feelings such as loneliness, vanity, greed, hope, and even contentment permeate his imagery. He visually paves a highway into the emotional world by creating empathy in the viewer. The use of vivid contrast, and his near-graphic style, create a visual biography around the subject. This shows who they are, and where they’ve been. His ever-changing body of work utilizes a vast array of mediums and textures (such as gunpowder, tar, gold leaf etc...), while putting classic and biblical subjects in a contemporary setting. He has been featured in renowned art magazines such as Beautiful Bizarre, and can be found in the private collections of Post Malone and many others all around the world.

Artist Statement

People always ask me for an artist statement, but there are so many interesting people in the world that I feel like my story isn’t really anything. I think it goes back to my background and not really having any formal education…. Like most artist bios say, “I went here, and I studied here, and now I just paint some hearts on a photo for $8,000.”

That’s cool for them, but I feel like it should be more about the art and less about the artist. For a lot of artists, their personality is the art and their paintings are s**t. I get that it comes through in the painting and it’s minimal or academic, and that’s their thing or whatever so no disrespect—but I just want people to see me through my work and not give a s**t about where I’m from or what I’ve done. I want them to focus on what I’m trying to say and express through whatever I’m working on at the time.

It shouldn’t matter what celebrity just bought my work, or who commissioned me to do what. Do you like it? No? Then don’t buy it, I don’t care. It’s a really personal thing. I want the art to speak for itself.

Andrew Brady Tresler was born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma. From a young age a strong interest in the arts led to a brief attendance in the College of Art at the University of Oklahoma. Shortly after dropping out, he relocated to Nashville, TN to pursue a career in music. Over the years he fell in love again with the visual arts, experimenting in mixed media collages. Eventually turning to painting he has been exploring and creating ever since. He finds inspiration in every day events, music, cinema, and fellow artists of all different media. Every stroke of his paintings attempts to tell a story, however significant or vain, forever frozen in time.

Ruth (Borum) Loveland is an Oklahoma City based artist. She runs a gallery and home base studio : The Magic Sad Agency: in Norman Oklahoma. She has exhibited work in Chicago, New Orleans, Kansas City, and Oklahoma and has peices in private and corporate collections nationwide. Her current work consists of mixed media encaustics, oil and acrylic paintings, conceptual drawing, writing, natural pigment experiments, and collecting projects.

She is represented by Weinberger Fine Art in Kansas City

No Parking Studios is an exclusive art community that focuses on showing the raw imagery of North Tulsa through fine art . Created by artist Antonio Andrews in 2016 after a life changing trip, Antonio created the company as a way to expand on other ideas outside of music. In 2017 adding Tyler James, Deren Walker and Cruz Thompson, NOPS is a company looking to expand its creativity to various mediums. With collab projects from Hennessy, American Solera, and Motown Records our goal these coming years is making No Parking Studios a household name

12 years in the industry, and more give, Jalika is an entertainer periodt. From former Miss Wreckroom 2012 onto Miss Oklahoma USofA at Large 2017.. the next crown to reign is the World..

When I look at her here I’d say she was elusive and captivating. When I look at her there I see a classic beauty. When I look at her here I see a timeless piece of f*cking garbage. And just try and describe her without using the word statuesque.

Q is a showgirl and artist from Oklahoma City. Her style is classic burlesque with a vampy punk twist. She has been performing for almost 5 years and is excited to bring drag into the glamorous world of burlesque. Striving for uniqueness, she makes all of her costumes and hair.Expect some sparkles and a good time!

Tape is a local drag queen and performance artist that loves to use their art to help people feel more secure about themselves. They’re always looking for a good time and a bottle of champagne to down!

Tessa Fungo is a dancer and choreographer based in Oklahoma City. A recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a BFA in modern dance, she current works with RACE Dance Collective and Hartel Dance Group, along with freelance projects and teaching dance.

Natasha Abu-Fadel graduated from UCO with a BFA in Dance Performance, exposing herself to many artists and opportunities. She then attended intensives and immersions to further continue her fascination with movement and improvisation. She is now a freelance educator, choreographer and performer in the OKC area and abroad. Her works have been seen in UCO's theater department, Edmond North High School and Southmoore High School musical productions. She has worked with a few different musicians performing in their music videos. Natasha produced and released her first short dance film “X PAT BOND” in collaboration with Leandro Damasco Jr. She also recently performed her solo “La Vie En Rose” at the Oklahoma International Dance Festival. Through and through she continues to experiment, research, discover and evolve her craft with like-minded artists

Harper - Jewel Harris began dancing at the age of 3, their passion for movement was clear early on. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Harper grew up training and competing around the midwest. In 2018 they moved to Los Angeles to receive their BFA in Dance Theatre at American Musical Dramatic Academy College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Since then Harper has completed their 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training, worked with brands such as Adidas & Audible, as well as taught at multiple studios in both Oklahoma and Los Angeles. It is a dream that Harper is able to have a life full of movement, connection, and continued education!

American artist Annatova Neches engages design, music, and mysticism to create and curate interactive and meaningful experiences. Originally a painter and singer/songwriter, Annatova combines digital design, the studies of the unconscious, and performance in her explorations of archetypal forces.

Her most recent musical release Origin explores links between our source of being and the symbolism of the tarot. A music video featuring mythic and psychedelic themes is slated to be released towards the end of 2022.