For the past year or so, Limited Paper’s been wondering which gallery would be the first to announce an “all Glow-in-The-Dark” show.  Indeed, if we consider GID’s rise in popularity over the past year or two, such a showcase seems inevitable.   But just because the idea’s an obvious one doesn’t guarantee that it’d result in success: more than any other factor, an all-GID show would almost certainly live or die based on the artists hired to participate.

Turns out, there was nothing to worry about: our friends at NYC’s Bottleneck Gallery have pulled the trigger on an all-GID showcase, and--based on the preview images we’ve been cleared to share with you today—Bottleneck understood just how crucial hiring the right artists would be.  Wanna see new (and GID-infused!) posters from Craig Drake, Godmachine, Bruce Yan, and a slew of others?  Meet me after the jump, folks.

Based on conversations Limited Paper’s had over the past year or so, poster collectors are divided on the issue of GID (Glow-in-The-Dark) inks.  Half of the collectors we’ve spoken to have fully embraced GID’s place in Poster World, while the other half tends to criticize GID’s use much in the same way that film geeks have criticized Hollywood’s ongoing love affair with 3D: more often than not-- and especially when used by the inexperienced or hack-y—the inclusion of GID tends to feel like more of a “gimmick” than anything else.

And, y’know, fair enough.  But just as we’ve seen with 3D, there’s a flipside to the sentiment: when GID’s employed by artists who actually know what they’re doing with it, a piece of artwork can be radically improved or expanded upon (see also: the difference between Martin Scorsese’s Hugo 3D…and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender in 3D).  It’s a talent that doesn’t seem to come naturally to everyone, in other words, but when it’s done well…it’s pretty goddamn awesome.

Bottleneck-Gallery-When-The-Lights-Go-Out-Flier

And so, when our friends at NYC’s Bottleneck Gallery dropped us a line to let us know that their all-GID showcase-- titled When The Lights Go Out and opening at the Gallery’s Brooklyn location at 7pm EST on April 12th—we were extremely curious to find out which artists were asked to participate.  After all, there were a few artists we knew such a show couldn’t do without, artists it’d be crucial for Bottleneck to have on the final lineup (artist Mark Englert, for instance: his GID posters for The Thing [see below], The Walking Dead, and Fringe are to GID what Scorsese’s Hugo was to 3D movies).

Turns out, there was nothing to worry about: Bottleneck Gallery did their homework, the right artists were brought in, and now it’s looking like When The Lights Go Out will be every bit as awesome as we hoped it’d be.  Let’s first look at a ton of side-by-side images from the show (at the moment, we’ve got very little info on the majority of these besides the artist’s name, but the Bottleneck Gallery website should have further details listed by the time the show opens on the 12th).

First up?  Three-time “Sexiest Bruce Alive” winner Bruce Yan:

  • Where The Wild Things Are by Bruce Yan

Bottleneck-Gallery-When-The-Lights-Go-Out-Bruce-Yan-Where-The-Wild-Things-Are-Both

 

  • Poltergeist by Cuyler Smith

 

  • Time Bandits by Dave Perillo

 

  • Via Eric Hancock

 

  • Alien(s) by Godmachine

Bottleneck-Gallery-When-The-Lights-Go-Out-Godmachine-Aliens-Both

 

  • Cthulhu by Mark Lone

Bottleneck-Gallery-When-The-Lights-Go-Out-Mark-Lone-Cthulhu-Both

 

  • Lost at Sea by Perfect Laughter

Bottleneck-Gallery-When-The-Lights-Go-Out-Perfect-Laughter-Lost-at-Sea-Both

 

  • Via Randy Ortiz

Bottleneck-Gallery-When-The-Lights-Go-Out-Randy-Ortiz-Both

 

  • Day of Days by Rob Loukotka

Bottleneck-Gallery-When-The-Lights-Go-Out-Rob-Loukotka-Day-of-Days-Both

 

  • Via Matthew Skiffbottle

 

  • Twilight Zone by Ridge

 

  • All Hail Hypnotoad by Russ Moore

Aaaand here’s a few bonus images (these were sent on their own, rather than in pairs like the other GID images…except in the case of Brad Hill and Adam Messy’s work, which were awesome, just…uh…they’re not posters), starting with a Tron Legacy piece from Limited Paper favorite Craig Drake:

  • Tron: Legacy by Craig Drake

 

  • Via Arik Roper

 

  • Via Brad Hill

Bottleneck-Gallery-When-The-Lights-Go-Out-Brad-Hill-Normal-Both

 

  • Via Adam Messy

Now, you’re probably wondering where Mark Englert’s contribution is, especially since we singled the dude out as the “Martin Scorsese of Glow-in-The-Dark” up top.  If you'd like to see it...click here for an awesome Game of Thrones inspired piece.  There are some insanely awesome pieces headed our way via this show, but—from everything we’ve seen thus far—Englert remains the undisputed king of GID prints.  Stay tuned.

That’s all we got for now, folks, but stay tuned: we’ve got a new giveaway headed your way in the near future (no, for serious: the print has arrived, it’s awesome, and we’ll be doing that giveaway next week) as well as further info on the usual slate of poster-drops headed our way this month.  As always, if you’re an artist or gallery with artwork you’d like to see featured on Limited Paper (or if you’re just some lucky bastard who happened to overhear a bit of poster-related gossip while standing in the bushes outside Martin Ansin’s house) we wanna hear from you!  Email Limited Paper directly at LimitedPaper@gmail.com, and be sure that you’re following us on Twitter via @LimitedPaper for ongoing commentary, news updates, giveaways, and more!