The Dark Art Emporium Presents “Angel Dust”

This past weekend, The Dark Art Emporium in Long Beach, California, introduced its latest exhibit, “Angel Dust,” featuring Rachael Bridge, Iva Troj and Meagan “Magpie” Rodgers. Each artist created a series of new pieces that collectively evoke a realm of morbid enchantment.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Hailing from New York, Rachael Bridge discovered her artistic side before the age of five. Nurturing her drawing skills over time, oil paints became her preferred medium for producing her work. For “Angel Dust,” Bridge’s paintings depict women in a dreamlike state, peering far off into the distance. The female figures appear as if they’ve unplugged from reality and entered a trance. Anxiety is a theme she delves into deeply, and with titles such as “Want,” “Regret” and “Mourning,” the artist beautifully channels how these emotional states can overwhelm the mind.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Iva Troj was born in Bulgaria and witnessed early in her life the hypocrisies propagated by politics and society. Always one to question and challenge cultural norms in her creations, Troj exposes female oppression, misogyny and discrimination. Despite the harsh realities her pieces convey, her style is serene and possesses Renaissance influence with cherub-like and angelic characters present in the images. Verdant scenery, mystical creatures and flesh fill the canvases. It’s astounding to observe the amount of detail the works encompass.

Ghostly apparitions bid you welcome in the series Meagan “Magpie” Rodgers crafted for the exhibit. Relocating from Riverside, California, to more scenic surroundings in Chattanooga, Tennessee, she draws inspiration from the lush, natural surroundings, as is evident in one piece titled “Nemophilist,” which refers to a person who is a haunter of the forest. Her dark surrealist renderings for the art show depict spectral beings encircled by shadowy woods who appear petrifying, but in essence are not threatening. Although her work was not available for display opening night, it can be viewed in its entirety here.

“Angel Dust” will remain up through the first week of October, so if you can, stop into the gallery to view it. The art can also be seen and purchased on The Dark Art Emporium official website.