THOMAS GIESEKE • CIRCUS MAXIMUS

July 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Kansas City, Mo. On Friday, July, 1st 2016 from 5-10 PM the Todd Weiner Gallery will host the exhibition opening for Circus Maximus by Thomas Gieseke which will run through Saturday, July 30th, 2016.

Gieske’s newest body of work is a culmination of work since his previous exhibition at the Todd Weiner Gallery entitled Farglebargle in July of 2015. Circus Maximus, the current exhibition, harnesses Gieseke’s expansive imagination onto canvas. Each of the tight hand acrylic works intricately details scenes of a created dream world. Gieseke’s subjects range from IPhone wielding monkeys in the Congo to the hairpin turn of a Ben Hur-like chariot race in the arena. Gieseke commands each scene in Circus Maximus expertly depicting not only the characters but also masterfully setting each uncanny constructed reality.

Gieseke brings twenty-five years of design experience to his illustrations. His long career has resulted in a many collaborations with acclaimed artists. His achievements include co-creating the design for the happy meal box, a feature in the American Showcase of Illustration, and a successful west coast show in February of 2014 with the Copro Gallery. Gieseke now focuses on creating fine art with the tools he gained during his prosperous design career.

Circus Maximus, the featured piece in the exhibition is a large scale painting portraying the turn of an all-out interspecies chariot race. Throughout the ages, the masses have gathered to cheer on competitors who compete for the champion’s glory. Gieseke pins a pair of Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaurs devouring the neighboring horses against a moped riding monkey in the foreground. A massive cyclops robot looms in the background as the cheerleaders balance on the skulls of the fallen victors.