Painter Ward Shelley describes his art on the subject of art as a “matter of record,” tracing minute details about artists and art movements with oils on frosted mylar. Shelley — represented by Williamsburg’s Pierogi Gallery — conducts months of research on his subject matter, which ranges from performance artist Chris Burden (detailed above) to Andy Warhol’s Chelsea Girls to Frank Zappa. Each piece is mesmerizing, like a graphic novel employing stream-of-consciousness to tell the story of Art with a capital A.
Enlarged images after the jump.
Frank Zappa chart. Enlarge here.
Andy Warhol Chelsea Girls. Enlarge here.
Performance artist Chris Burden. Enlarge here.
The path of performance art. Enlarge here.