C.J. Pyle: Skin Tight

The Guild Room

In Skin Tight, artist and musician C.J. Pyle presents a group of recent drawings that showcase his eccentric approach to figuration. Pyle’s work is resolutely imaginative. Beginning in childhood, he developed a unique visual style that involves layering ”knotted” mark making with ballpoint pens on found paper elements, often the insides of LP covers. With a pen, Pyle creates a dense metallic finish that imbues his acutely-rendered figures with an undeniable essence.

About C.J. Pyle

Born in Richmond, Indiana, in 1956, Christopher John Pyle was a compulsive sketcher from an early age. Early influences include the cartoonist Basil Wolverton and the Italian caricaturist Paolo Garretto, though his creativity really grew during his time in the music industry. From 1975, and over the next decade, Pyle was the drummer for the Indianapolis band The Late Show, playing up to 300 gigs per year. During downtime for sound checks, or while traveling, he would create ballpoint pen sketches, perfecting his trademark weave technique.

From the late 1980s, Pyle started drawing cover designs for an Indianapolis news weekly, catching the attention of clients such as Rolling Stone, Time, and Sports Illustrated. He also hand-illustratedalbum covers for Verve and Atlantic Records. Pyle has displayed his works in galleries and institutions throughout the United States, Europe, Australia and Japan.