“Self-taught” surrealist artist Chris Mars creates a voice for the voiceless; offers love to the unloved and mercy to the condemned and banished through his artwork. Pulling empathetic inspiration from a family history of mental illness, Mars visually reflects upon the cruel and tribal aspects of societal and human prejudices in his signature Neo-Grotesque style. Through his highly developed technical craft, he conceptually challenges preconceived judgment, be it one of beauty, hideousness or the nature of truth by tendency. Prior to gaining critical acclaim as a painter, Mars became internationally known in the music world as the drummer for the Replacements. His additional accomplishments include work in the filmmaking world, creating animation and live-action shorts. Mars’ oil paintings are in the permanent collections of many museum collections, and feature prominently in museum exhibits throughout North America. In 2011 a selection of his film shorts screened at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Mars exhibited his paintings at Halle St. Pierre, Paris, France, where he will be returning in 2013. Chris Mars lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota. -Via Varnishfineart.com undefined

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