BraveWords.com has received the following press release:

Guest curator Jason D' Aquino and Last Rites Gallery owner, Paul Booth, are two artists who are perhaps best known for their artwork in black & gray. For Lead Poisoning they team up to present a show of gray-scale drawings by some of the most talented artists working today.

This diverse group features everyone from comic book illustrators, to graphic artists, to classical oil painters- all showcasing their best monochromatic works in graphite. This exhibition presents detailed drawings by acclaimed draftsmen, as well a rare opportunity to see the foundations of what renowned painters and sculptors work from.

Among the talent is Juxtapoz Magazine founder Robert Williams, considered one of the founders of the "Lowbrow" movement; Ron English, who's infamous pirated billboards can be seen across the world; and Chris Mars, known for his meticulously layered oil paintings. Held in New York's premiere Dark art gallery, Last Rites- this is show will be an opportunity for artists to reach within the darkest realms of their imaginations, and display their most raw and uncensored work to-date.

Participating artists include: Wayne Anderson, Esao Andrews, Carrie Ann Baade, Glenn Barr, Rachel Bess, Andrew Brandou, Scott G. Brooks, Jon Butcher, Estra Byrd, Molly Crabapple, Robert Craig, Brian Despain, Daniel Martin Diaz, Xiaoqing Ding, Brandon Dunlap, Ron English, Ewelina Ferruso, Fred Harper, Pedro de Kastro, Viktor Koen, Craig LaRotonda, Jason Limon, Michael Mararian, Chris Mars, David MacDowell, Tara McPherson, the PIZZ, Matthew Pleva, Anthony Pontius, Christopher Ryniak, Jose Manuel Schmill, Greg (Craola) Simkins, David Stoupakis, Gary Taxali, Tom Thewes, Miles Thompson, Tara Warwick, Keith Weesner, Eric White and Chet Zar.

Running concurrently at Last Rites, to Jason D'Aquino's Lead Poisoning curatorial debut, will be his third solo show in Manhattan. Jason's work is miniature in scale and created on antique surfaces and found objects. The nature and origin of the surface will often dictate, and interact with the image rendered upon it, and no surfaces are ever artificially aged. The matchbook is his canvas of choice because this easily recognizable object lends an instant scale reference to the drawing, regardless of the media in which it is being viewed.

Jason's matchbooks and original graphite drawings have been exhibited all over the U.S., and recently at his first European solo show in Luxembourg at Galerie Nordine Zidoun. His work has been extensively published by media including The New York Times, Juxtapoz, and Hi Fructose Magazine. He will be featured in the Bound edition of "Hi Fructose Collected" & Matt Jordan's "Weirdo Noir"; and his Circus ABC book (recently published by simply read books) will be available for signing at the Last Rites gallery opening. His tattoo work can be seen everywhere, and he can be found personally at his studio, Leviathan Tattoo, in Buffalo NY.

About Last Rites Gallery: Last Rites Gallery is New York's only gallery of dark art. Having opened in April 2008, the gallery has received accolades from places as diverse as Inked Magazine, Tattoo Society, Juxtapoz, Hi Fructose, NY Post, and the Channel 11 Morning News.

Last Rites was founded by legendary painter and tattooist Paul Booth, an artist who has devoted his life to the evolution of his craft. In the tattoo industry, after years of public appearances and numerous international awards, Paul Booth is now a household name. He has been featured on networks such as CNN, MSNBC, Discovery, A&E;, TLC, MTV and VH1. Due to the macabre nature of his style, Paul has tattooed many major metal bands. As a result, in 2002, Rolling Stone Magazine dubbed Paul "The new king of rock tattoos." There is currently a three-year waiting list for his work.

The show opens on Saturday, July 10th, 7 - 10 PM at Last Rites Gallery, 511 W. 33rd Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues (3 blocks from Penn Station), 3rd floor, New York, NY 10001. Show runs July 10th thru July 25th, 2010.

More info at this location.