Director Alfred Hitchcock is known as the Master of Suspense and his films still inspire artists today, decades after his death. This weekend Thumbprint Gallery presents the Hitchcock Group Art Show at Subterranean Coffee Boutique.
Hitchcock directed such film classics as "Psycho," "Rear Window," "Vertigo," and "The Birds." He is famous for creating tightly crafted films that delivered nail-biting tension and sometimes true horror.
Jennifer Cooksey is the guest curator for the show and a fan of Hitchcock's films.
"His work is very visceral," she said. "It taps into a very profound kind of view of the human experience in terror. I mean we can all share similar fears and he understands that like no other director. The way he frames each scene and the tension he builds, that's incredibly inspiring for artist. I think you could look at any one of his frames and go, 'That's a piece of art right there.'"
Cooksey regularly curates shows at Subterranean Coffee Boutique for Thumbprint. For each show, she taps into a pop culture theme that resonates with artists whether it's a TV show, a movie, or an icon like Hitchcock or Guillermo Del Toro.
"I definitely kind of focus on pop art and themes that are popular in popular culture like television shows, movies, music, stuff that's happening in books," Cooksey stated. "So we've tried to stay on top of what's happening currently and also kind of give a nod to nostalgia because that's kind of really big right now. Two things that we've grown up with and things that people love and make them happy about stuff that they're passionate about."
Cooksey is passionate about Hitchcock and will be creating her own work to go into the show that's inspired by "Psycho."
"I'm all about horror films and growing up I adored Hitchcock," Cooksey said. "I loved what he did. I loved how he made everything look. The boundaries that he pushed. I just found him incredibly inspiring. So this is a fantastic opportunity to kind of jump on that. So I went with 'Psycho' because that was actually my introduction to Hitchcock. So I sculpted a Mother piece and she's lovely, very skeletal and gross, and you can see her and all of her glory this Saturday."
By doing these shows, local artists not only have a place to display and sell their art but also are regularly encouraged to create new art to fit the themes of each show. The artwork encompasses a full range of styles from sculpture and painting to digital art and photography.
Thumbprint Gallery has been a longtime supporter of local artists and urban art. They now also have a home base in La Jolla where they do shows that are focused on up and coming artists and promoting the art scene. But they continue to host regular shows at satellite venues like Subterranean Coffee Boutique.
The Hitchcock Group Art Show will have an opening reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 17 and will remain up through Sept. 6.
