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I've been getting a growing amount of invitations recently to view cool artistic projects in the grid; thanks very much for sending the information my way, and I hope you all will continue doing so. Now that the endless tech issues that came with the last client release seem to be resolved, in fact, I've been having a chance to actually start making some of the events, too; one I recently attended, for example, was an exhibition by painter and illustrator Scott Brooks, a southern Californian Washingtonian who falls into that whole "lowbrow" scene so popular these days (you know, where they combine tattoo design with hot rods with gallery exhibitions). Even cooler, this exhibition is part of a SL/RL "mesh" event, which I'm particularly fascinated by these days; the same portfolio is being exhibited virtually at Concussions Gallery in the grid [Wixom 154/100/106], and physically at La Luz de Jesus, a highly regarded lowbrow gallery in Los Angeles.

Now, let's make no mistake -- Brooks' surrealist portraits on display are hella creepy. I think that's the entire point, in fact; that in all other regards they are these sweet and technically masterful Victorian-style paintings, but whose subjects happen to all be hideous cartoonish freaks. It will definitely appeal to all of you who are into the comics scene, and especially those who appreciate such artists as Charles Burns; I also think it'll be of interest to those who like interesting editorial illustrations, like what you see many times in Esquire or the New Yorker.

Concussions Gallery, by the way, is pretty cool as well; among other amenities of this semi-outdoor space is a giant ratty-looking cartoon mouse floating over the entire thing, holding a sorta combination of Olympic torch and flaming blunt. I love seeing spaces like this open within SL, if you can't tell already -- the grid is a nearly perfect place to support and promote underground and cutting-edge artists, and it looks like Concussions has a strong emphasis on supporting such creative professionals themselves.

Anyway, definitely stop by if you have a chance, and of course you should check out the RL show as well if you're in the Los Angeles area this month. Keep those suggestions coming, people; I love having the chance to visit shows like these!