NeckFace's "Devil's Disciple" at O.H.W.O.W. turns heads and stomachs

Comments (0) By Carlos Suarez De Jesus Thursday, Oct 29 2009

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Yet another room in the haunted house part of the exhibit has been set up like a circus freak sideshow. One character, who looks like Leatherface from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, wears a trench coat while cradling a monkey in his arms. Another figure resembles a two-headed Uncle Fester, and the carnival barker is a dead ringer for Beetlejuice. Next to him, a vampire draped in a white nightgown has what appears to be a fence post rammed through her chest.

"Some people like to decorate their homes with Christmas lights," NeckFace says. "My family gets more excited about pumpkins and severed heads."

NeckFace

Details

"Devil's Disciple": October 31 through November 21. O.H.W.O.W., 3100 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; 305-633-9345; oh-wow.com. Monday through Friday noon to 5 p.m. Haunted house: one night only, Saturday, October 31; admission is free; ages 18+

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At the opposite end of the gallery, NeckFace turns into the Marquis de Sod while overseeing a team of grunting contractors organizing his display of masks. In a corner, workers shovel a huge mound of topsoil and cover it with life-size black caskets set off by red backlighting against a garish orange wall.

The artist's eerie, pointy-toothed metal masks gleam like apparitions atop the tarry dirt. They exude a weird African mask or Mexican wrestling mask vibe.

"The masks are inspired by medieval torture implements; Ned Kelly, the Australian bandit who made his own armor; pop-up books; or even a cheese grater," he laughs. "I like to listen to King Diamond, Slayer, and Ozzy when I'm banging on the steel," he says. "This time, I dipped the masks in chrome for a new effect."

Around the corner, an arresting watercolor drawing depicts a hairy woman throttling her husband while her four rug rats watch in horror. Another piece depicts a pregnant, prickly-haired, putrid-green señorita dangling by her chained arms. An orange zombie detonates a bomb strapped to the woman's belly. In the background of the composition, a ghoul does his best Hanley Ramirez impersonation, catching the flying fetus in his baseball mitt not unlike the Marlins' shortstop snagging a line drive.

Exiting the gallery, NeckFace stops with some final words. "I stuffed all my dummies with copies of New Times, so you guys are in my show too," the subversive wag titters with a sangfroid smile.