Recently, at the New York Art Expo 2000, Carmel artist Paxton Mobley became known as “The Blue Ear Guy.”
It wasn't a gimmick, although it certainly got him attention. It wasn't merely a form of advertising, although his logo is a blue ear.
Rather, he was welcoming them to his inner world.
Mobley - who signs his paintings with his first name, Paxton - has gained a following for his strange and humorous surrealistic paintings, filled with dream-like symbols.
He said that much of his inspiration comes from dreams. And that's where the blue ear comes in.
"It' s a childhood image," said the 29-year-old artist, who grew up in northern Alabama. "When I was 7 or 8 years old, I used to have these real detailed dreams that were very scary for me. So I created a little doorway where I could escape if I needed to."
And that doorway was in the shape of- what else? - a blue ear.
These days, Mobley sees the image more as a door to his dreams, rather than an escape from them. And the ear turns up as a recurring symbol in his paintings.
Because he felt this strong attachment to the image, he used to paint his ear blue for art openings. Then he had a latex ear made that could be slipped on over his real ear. "It's my protection, my good-luck charm," he said.
So it was only natural that he would wear it to the New York Expo, where he had a booth. The annual event where artists, galleries and others in the art world host booths is an opportunity to see work and be seen.
"It's huge," Mobley said of the event held March 9-13. "It takes two days just to walk it"
And in walking it, the buzz started: "Have you seen the guy with the blue ear?"
Thanks to the ear - and his paintings - Mobley caught the attention of a number of New York galleries, as well as one from Carmel that happened to be there - Marco Polo Gallery.
The gallery contacted him after he returned home to ask if he would exhibit his work there. Mobley didn't think he could put a show together so quickly, but he did. It opens this weekend.
He'll display much of what went to New York earlier this month – his paintings, sketches and a new series of eight, limited-edition prints.
Mobley will also unveil his first sculpture, a bronze cast by Monterey Sculpture Center in Marina. Not even the people in New York have seen this yet although Mobley did display the resin copy at the Art Expo.
The artist calls his style "Midrealism" and has even written a book explaining it all. However, the paintings themselves defy explanation - even Mobley says he doesn't necessarily know what they mean.
"My goal is just to make people think," he said. "I've gotten so many good interpretations of my own paintings from other people."
