Zito
PORTRAITS OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE
Closing reception: June 27 7pm - midnight

About the Show
ARTIST ANTONY EDWARD ZITO EXTENDS LIVE PORTRAIT SESSIONS AT GALLERYBAR
COMPLETED ORGINIAL MARATHON OF 100 PORTRAITS FROM 100 LIVE MODELS IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS

New York - NY After shattering his original goal to paint 100 watercolor portraits from 100 live models in less than 24 hours and inspired by overwhelming public response, Antony Edward Zito has extended his "portrait marathon" at GalleryBar (120 Orchard Street between Rivington and Delancey Streets). Newly titled "Portraits of the LES," the project has taken a life of its own, as the artist now seeks to capture the essence of the Lower East Side by completing 2,000 portraits of residents, workers, passersby and numerous visitors to the space. These portraits, which will cover the walls of GalleryBar will be on display until the Closing Reception on June 27th from 7 to midnight - during the weekly event "Art for Progress Presents the GalleryBar Collective" - when all portrait subjects are invited to collect their portraits.

"Portraits of the LES" will also be filmed as part of a documentary currently being created about the artist, with proceeds to be donated for another film "Raw For 30 Days," an explosive soon-to-be-released documentary which chronicles the experiences of a group of diabetics as they transition to a healthier lifestyle. Zito's latest exhibit "Visionary Expressionism" featuring portraits of luminaries such as Abe Lincoln, Marlena Dietrich and John Lennon is also currently on display at the gallery until June 27th .

Sign up at GalleryBar and for a $100 suggested donation you can have your very own portrait (which is sure to increase in value) from the much sought after artist. During this punishing session, the 38-year-old painter and raw foodist will be in residence every Wednesday through Sunday 4pm-4am until the end of his exhibit at the gallery and will sleep on GalleryBar's comfortable (we hear) basement couch.

The former proprietor of Ludlow Street's legendary Zito Studio Gallery, which closed its doors of in September 2006, Zito is known for his powerfully emotive portraits, most often painted on found materials. However, for his new show at GalleryBar, he has unveiled a new direction with a series of large enamel paintings on canvas. These intense psychedelic images celebrate the artist's personal influences in a group of iconic portraits depicting what he calls "great minds of spirit and culture". Blending cultural and temporal barriers, his eclectic selection of personal heroes also include Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett, Oscar Wilde, Sitting Bull and Salvador Dali.

The New York Post has called Zito's portrait paintings "sensual" and his renderings of people on materials other than canvas have prompted The Village Voice to refer to him as "a master of the found object". A dedicated resident of The Lower East Side, he is credited with founding the Every Last Sunday art loop, a walking tour that features up to 30 independent art studios and galleries each month. His paintings have been seen in Milk Studios, The Sundance Film Festival, The National Arts Club, The American Museum of Natural History, P.S. 122, The Museum of Sex, Fuse Gallery, Angel Orensanz Foundation and Anthology Film Archives, along with galleries in Los Angeles, Japan and Austria, among others. In May 2004, Zito's portrait of Lee Marvin was featured along side The White Stripes in the United Artists film, "Coffee and Cigarettes", directed by Jim Jarmusch, and he has contributed work to the director's most recent release, "Broken Flowers". His tribute to the Mona Lisa was shown at Deitch Projects in Soho and featured in the 2004 Fall Arts Issue of BlackBook. His illustrations have been published in The New York Press and his murals are featured on the walls of the legendary Lombardi's Pizza and The Spring Lounge in Little Italy. Besides the documentary film to be completed in 2008, Zito is also currently writing an autobiography of his work during the past 15 years in New York City. Driven primarily by the images of his portraits, the book focuses on the layered biographies of the people he has painted. Both the film and book are slated for release in 2008.

More Information
For more information please contact:

Tracey Henry
Type A Media
212-226 - 3175 (P)
212-226 - 3978 (F)