Curtains: The Wonder of Life and the Mystery of Death

By: AnnaMaria Stephens, SignOnSanDiego

San Diego native Scott Saw's artwork pays loving tribute to Dia de los Muertos, German expressionism, Edward Gorey and Tim Burton. Saw's paintings are romanticized gothic landscapes of nature, misfits and oddities -- dancing skeletons, flowering blue-and-red tree branches/arteries twisting upward from pumping hearts, robots flying dove kites.

There's a sense of childlike fantasy in his images, of deep-sleep dreams gone awry. Saw delicately balances symbols of life and death; both inspire a sense of wonderment and sometimes are indistinguishable. He uses exquisitely evocative color palettes and his attention to detail is impressive.

At his Planet Rooth show, Saw will be celebrating the release of "Curtains, the Wonder of Life and the Mystery of Death." The book, available at the opening reception for $15, features 36 full-color pages of his artwork and a forward by David J of Bauhaus/Love and Rockets.