Live After Death

Comic-book fans already know the cold hard facts about death: Nothing great ever dies. Nothing middling ever really dies, either (looking at you, Bucky Barnes). Comic-book publishers love to satisfy (?) a character's fan base by killing the character –- as DC did with Batman a year ago –- have some other hero don the dead character's mantle, and then eventually return the dead character to life and pretend like nothing happened. Yes, it makes no sense, but it's not like killing Bruce Wayne would actually mean the end of Batman even if his "death" were made permanent by editorial fiat. The more popular a character is the larger they loom in the public's imagination, and no business decision will extinguish them from the collective memory. Street artist BURN353 uses the peculiar immortality of pop-culture characters as the springboard for his new art exhibit, Afterlife. The show is populated with characters that reflect BURN353's satirical twist on the practice of constantly killing and reviving that which cannot die. Afterlife opens with a free public reception from 5 to 10 p.m. at Star Clipper (6392 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-725-9110 or www.starclipper.com). Admission is free, and the show remains up through Saturday, March 24. BURN353 will be present on Saturday, February 11, to meet fans and sell prints of his work.
Mondays-Sundays. Starts: Jan. 27. Continues through March 24, 2012