Vermin scares up attention at his Gallery Au-Go-Go

Friday, Oct. 29, 2004 | 8:50 a.m.

"I think I'm in love with it," said Vermin, standing before the "Monster Mantra," which will be part of Vermin's "Noche de las Calaveras" or "Night of the Skulls" exhibit opening Saturday at Vermin's Gallery Au-Go-Go.

Located next to Vermin's PussyKat tattoo parlor, the exhibit will feature up to 100 skull-themed and Halloween-themed works from local artists, including Dray and Iceberg Slick.

The show is celebrating its third year, with a different theme each year. Vermin receives a variety of mediums, including oil paintings, watercolors, poster art, tattoo art and jewelry. Last year a "spooky poem" was read.

"This is such a fun theme to work with," Vermin said. "This is always the funnest show of the year for me. I've got photography coming in. Paintings coming in. Some big works."

Chaparral High School art teacher Sean Jones contributed portraits of Wolfman and the Creature From the Black Lagoon.

Lisa Fields Clark's "Road Saints," a mixed- media piece that incorporates glass beads, metal sheeting and papier-mache, features four beaded skulls in a ornatemetal cabinet.

Other works include a watercolor of skulls, skeletons and bones and a silhouette of Frankenstein's monster, a minimalist piece backed by bright pink and mauve stripes. Poster legend Art Chantry created show posters.

Local bands, including Vermin's the Vermin, will perform at an after-party at the nearby House of Brews.

For opening night in the gallery, Vermin said, "We're going to have spooky movies and spooky music from the 1950s -- not 'Monster Mash, it's like everything but."

The majority of artists in "Noches de las Calaveras" have been in past shows, said Vermin, who until now hadn't painted for nearly a year.

When asked, "Why Frankenstein?" Vermin pulled up his sleeve to show the back of his left arm where the monster is permanently portrayed.

"We've had a long relationship," he said.