“Disasterland” Depicts Disney Characters In Adult Situations

Disney characters transposed into real-world adult situations have existed as long as Disney animation has existed. Take, for example, Disney-themed Tijuana Bibles and Wally Wood’s “Disneyland Memorial Orgy” drawing. Fast forward forty years later and these types of images are a dime a dozen, drawn by thousands of amateur artists and posted all over the Internet.

It takes a certain bravado to turn these silly drawings into oil paintings and then sell them for thousands of dollars a pop to trust fund hipsters who have more money than taste. That’s exactly the gameplan of Mexican artist José Rodolfo Loaiza Ontiveros whose new art show “Disasterland” opens tomorrow night at La Luz de Jesus (4633 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles ,CA 90027). The show description includes some standard art world mumbo-jumbo explaining his artistic intent, but the complete lack of irony and wit in his work can’t elevate this beyond a puerile attempt to shock. The entire series is viewable on the gallery’s website.