No one escapes the nightmarish "Toy Story Gone Wild" world of Dark Vomit, everyone is dealt the same ghoulish transformation and genetic Stem Cell research gone awry; no individual, no president, no institution and no commerce can escape Dark Vomit's grip. And we love it!

Pee Wee Herman, KFC, the Twix Rabbit, Wal Mart, President Bush, Nelson Mandela, Alfred Hitchcock, Strawberry Shortcake, cows as butchers, oh how the list is long - Demonic clowns and cannibalistic grandmothers with blood stained gums, what else could you ask for? Some of Kelly's early works are also on view, pre-Dark Vomit, when he was going by the name of Demonio. We can see some early graffiti and street art influences in these pieces which Kelly now seems to have lost, choosing a more painterly approach instead. For example, the portrait of Vincent Price not only perfectly embodies the Man and the Actor, it is as well, a taste of this new formalism in Kelly's work.

The show's strength lies in the sheer number of paintings (framed in gaudy dime store frames), hung Salon style floor to ceiling, covering the entire two walls of the gallery space. Exuding color and style, the 40 plus paintings on view literally overwhelm the viewer and take control of the gallery space, transforming it into a butchery of images or a film clip from the Chainsaw Massacre. It's all the fun without the pain of living through it all. The show's weakness is isolating one or two pieces and trying to go deeper without the literal translation of the image. Despite all interpretations and political or social commentary in Kelly's work, it's hard not to appreciate the inherent passion for the weird and bizarre that he brings to the viewer. And from all the red dots I saw opening night, Kelly's prediction of a guaranteed investment was never so acute.

Kevin Freitas





Kelly Hutchison



















The Art of Framing Gallery
3333 Adam's Avenue
San Diego, CA 92116
619.563.9770