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Daryll Peirce

"G ‘n S"
24" x 60"

Acrylic on the undersides of diner tables

The inspiration for this piece and its series stems from my roots and my hometown of Reno, Nevada.

I grew up on the southern outskirts of Reno where tumbleweeds migrate and the coyotes ate all my cats. Living in the sticks, I elated in the rare excursions my folks would take me on into the "big city" and have since been fascinated by the electric gaudiness radiating from Reno's center. Throughout my teen years I carried on an appreciation and curiosity of life viewed from the cracks in the sidewalk which skateboarding only enhanced. Avoiding the hot summer days and rolling around until sunrise, skateboarding, combined with art, had brought me closer to street life and these otherwise reclusive misfits. Rolling and jumping around on a piece of wood has always seemed to attract the attention and either applause, or attacks from Reno's (or any other city's) nightly inhabitants. Because of this, many short term and some longer term relationships with such folks was inevitable. I remember a period when many of the "bums" around Reno were rocking a brand new pair of skate shoes. Only by moving away from what was natural to me, did I learn to appreciate and act upon these fascinations in my work.

Reno just seems to have a bit more angst uneasiness, and desperation than your average small city. It's extreme contrast of hot summer desert to snowy winter forest mountains seem fitting for the stark differences in the lifestyles of its inhabitants. The city is many things including a decaying gambling economy, all night clubs, bars with one lone salty patron, the National Bowling Stadium, the cheapest buffets, $1 hot dog an a Heine, the largest trailer parks in the nation, the highest of percentages of bad shit (teenage pregnancy, suicide, stds, etc), shunned Native reservations, and beautiful Lake Tahoe. I wanted to spotlight the uniqueness of some in heroic poses of otherwise non-heroic moments and places. I also wanted to accentuate the town's beautifully garish light, satire, lost-in-time kitsch, and grotesqueness of some of its dwellers from both an observational and living view like Toulouse-Latrec or Schiele in their own day. Sometimes my scenes are directly inspired by a person, memory, or place, but like the dude in this piece, most are a "Frankenstein" of fleeting memories. For instance, some of my hometown homies have this same RENO tattoo and its easy to imagine that this will be reality for someone in a decade or two.

The Gold and Silver Inn, or G 'n S as we called it growing up, was an all night hang out for us bored kids living in an over 21 town. We spent many hours here planning our nights over cheap greasy food while other regulars and drifters chain smoked and worked the slots. Sometimes we'd spend all night, get kicked out, or return for a new plan when various parties or spots busted. Fittingly, these pieces are painted on the undersides of old, gum friendly diner tables.
With "G 'n S" and the rest of the series, I'm not intending to make a statement on casino culture, homelessness, addiction, or any of the myriad of political problems inherent within my beloved hometown. Its just what fascinates me and what I've always enjoyed as a subject matter. Its a celebration and my own fantastical take of the characters and social outcasts that my hometown seems to woo or create.

Reeeeennnnnooooo, we love and miss you Beau Shaver. Live 4 Die 4.

By Daryll Peirce

www.ArtDerailed.com

A little about Daryll:

Age: 28

Live/work: Oakland, CA

One thing most people don’t know about Daryll: I’ve dislocated/broke my elbow three times within the last year.

Upcoming show: Group show "Picks of the Harvest" coming up at Thinkspace (http://thinkspacegallery.com/) in LA opening on 4/13