Gronk an LA native artist made his way to the Cerritos College Art Gallery on Aug. 28 for an artist talk and to showcase his fascinating artwork inspired by history, irony and B-movies.
Stock Footage and Outtakes: A Selection of Works by Gronk opened around 7 p.m. where many art lovers were able to step into a part of Gronk’s art studio to view some of his famous artworks such as Tormenta, The Claw and many more.
The gallery was packed with many different people walking around admiring the works of Gronk.
From paintings to photography to a sculpture of a bird claw, there was something for everyone there to admire.
The most favored paintings in the gallery consisted of Gronk’s character Tormenta. Inspired by Greek mythology characters like Medusa, Madea, and Electra his would be Tormenta.
Inspired by the movie, The Giant Claw (1952), The Claw sculpture sits across the 3 Tormentas.
The lingo and the color palette of the movies are what intrigued the artist. He will incorporate something from the movie into his artwork.
“I really like Tormenta. I just like that figure, seeing it again and again in different places. You always know it’s her especially because she is always facing her back towards you.”
“In different scenarios… really cool to see her again and again,” says Melissa Adams a graphic design major at Cerritos College.
The simplicity of the painting described by Gronk was to have a timeless quality.
There are three giant Tormenta paintings on one of the walls in the gallery.
Art collector and friend of Gronk, Ralph Berge, was there to show his support. Like many others his favorite painting is Tormenta.
“I have 47 Tormentas,” says Berge.
“The Tormenta character, I love, I will take every Tormenta he has. He’ll [Gronk] tell me, people are coming leave something for somebody else.”
“I love the Tormenta character I don’t know why I just fell in love with it 40 on display in my small place,” Berge explains.
The gallery was a success as many got the chance to learn and appreciate the mind of Gronk.
People even stopped to watch one of the B-movies from Gronk’s personal collection.
James MacDevitt, Director/Curator and Assistant Professor of Art History was talking with Gronk for about a year to make this exhibit happen on campus.
“You have a great art director here, James, who hung the show and looks good. So, for me, I applaud the act that it was able to be put up. It’s complicated to put up a show of any kind,” Gronk expresses.
Gronk will be on campus from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day until Sept. 8, enjoying a cup of coffee while working on a mural.
Make sure to stop by to see the working progress and chat with Gronk and maybe stop by to watch one of his favorite B-movies.
