Vermin gives kids spotlight at gallery

Friday, March 4, 2005 | 8:33 a.m.

Known as an all-inclusive curator with dozens of tattoos, a punk-rock band and art shows featuring demons, devils and adult-themed work, Dirk Vermin is changing his style.

"Refrigerator Art," a weeklong exhibit of children's artwork, opens Sunday at Gallery Au Go-Go, adjacent to Vermin's PussyKat Tattoo parlor.

The exhibit will feature at least 100 pieces of mostly contemporary art from up-and-coming artists. Mediums include crayon and construction paper, pencil and notebook paper and acrylics on canvas.

Unlike the exhibit "White Trash Paradise," where bologna sandwiches and Pabst beer were served, "Refrigerator Art" will be accompanied by cookies and punch to the tune of Disney music.

"This will be a whole different vibe," Vermin said. "I told the guys, No tattooing.' There's going to be 100 kids here."

Six-year-old Sam Fagel is one of the artists whose work will be exhibited.

"He's very excited because he's been to art shows at Dirk's before," said Fagel's mom, Leilani. "He draws every day. He loves to draw. Lately it's been SpongeBob SquarePants and all the characters from the show."

Sam works in crayon, pencil and paint and is exposed to the large collection of mostly local art that his parents own.

One of Sam's favorite pieces is his work "Jakezilla," a rendition of his 2-year-old brother, Jake, who destroys every creation Sam builds.

Also, Fagel said, "He's done self-portraits."

For Vermin's show, she added, "He's going to draw a special piece. It's really cool that Dirk is giving our children an avenue to display. They're proud of their art."

Fagel's father, Harry, is an artist who's had his work in Vermin's show and a poet who's had readings at Gallery Au Go-Go.

A father of two, Vermin came up with the idea as he watched his daughter Jasmine, 5, hang one of her drawings on the refrigerator.

"It's pretty neat to see her progress," Vermin said, while pointing to his daughter's acrylic on canvas, an abstract work that incorporates vibrant colors, numbers and images.

The painting mostly captures elements found in nature -- trees, flowers and possibly bees -- and is accented by a glittery three-dimensional butterfly.

Nearby is a work from another child detailing a robot shooting flames from its left arm at a pink monster rabbit.

"That's exactly what I was looking for with the art show," Vermin said. "That just screams kids."

A multimedia Halloween piece features a trick-or-treater in front of a haunted house, ghosts, felt pumpkins, cutout trees, puffball spiders and a witch.

There is a folder of art from a child whose father learned of the show while getting a tattoo the night before.

"He calls his wife, they rush down with the artwork," Vermin said. "And his mom is in town so his grandmother gets to see his art."

Flipping through the artwork, Vermin explains, "This kid's only 2 and he's in this little Christian art class."

Many of the parents of the child artists have shown in Gallery Au Go-Go. Vermin's own artwork from when he was 5, crayon-and-notebook portraits of Robin, Batman and Catwoman, will be on display.

The show will be followed by "The Art of the Portrait" group show, opening March 12. In addition to "White Trash Paradise," past shows at Gallery Au Go-Go include "Tattoos and Trash," "Mondo Erotica," "Abusement Park" and "Love Speaks Through a Fist."

For "Refrigerator Art," Vermin said, "I'm taking all the naughty stuff down. That whole room (in the tattoo parlor) is going to be gutted."

The art will be mounted much lower on the wall than at adult shows. Vermin said the main element that separates children's art from adult's is the freedom.

"At no other time are you going to create something so pure," Vermin said. "When you're a kid, you just start slapping paint. It's such a great time.

"I remember being in an art show at school. You never forget it."