Emily the Strange Press Release
January 6, 2009

 
On the heels of his ribbon-cutting for an Emily the Strange store in Athens Greece, Emily creator Rob Reger returns full-force to the fine art forum with Change of Strange at Varnish Fine Art, 77 Natoma Street, San Francisco, with an opening reception February 20, 7-10pm. “There is an unfolding and adventure of what my art will expose to me that thrills me when creating and then the journey is then carried on for the viewer to experience later,” says Reger. This process lead inevitably to a solo show of intricately woven, colorful forms of paint on dynamically conceived canvases, leaping beyond the world of Emily.

In the Change of Strange series of paintings, Rob Reger tips his hat to such influences as Escher’s play with interlocking characters and the kooky leanings of Dr. Seuss. Reger creates new beasts and monsters with a whimsical tap-on-the-shoulder of the frightening. “This show is very much about character development, formal design (playful elegance), creatures that hide and appear only after staring at it for hours, and suggesting just enough to have the viewer start to see connections and creatures I didn’t literally see myself,” Reger says. These emerging characters contained within the paintings overlap, share body parts, and suggest bigger and smaller characters. The artist plays with the use of space and the interplay of positive and negative, mathematics, and tricks to the eye, adding the element of viewer interaction. There is 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, and new characters emerge, continuing the narrative and fantasy.

Created by Rob Reger over 15 years ago, Emily the Strange has become an international icon for individualism, female empowerment, and do-it-yourself style. She’s a witty, no-nonsense 13 year-old girl, inspiring people to follow their own path and become their own hero. You can find Emily in items just about everywhere in 26 countries, including 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.

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 Chronicle Books, and an upcoming series of young adult novels from HarperCollins Publishing.