But now that we have the Juxtapoz and we’re not afraid to . . . buy the limited-edition Japanese vinyl toys advertised inside, it puts us wise to Silver’s whole gig and we wonder if all the carefully selected scraps of his past aren’t supposed to mean something. Did Van Gogh ever have that problem?

In “Bits and Pieces,” Silver—a Massachusetts-ite who’s designed for companies like Converse and Timex—delivers an intriguing collection of skateboard decks, words etched onto empty bottles, and found art collaged into a series of spooky paintings with monsters. It’s street-edged pop.

The ominously named Rise examines Silver’s trademark rectangular, scowly monster—not unlike what would happen if the butchest Teletubby got a Bowflex for Christmas. Collaged inside the mean little dude’s hard flat belly are found-art cartoons of some even cuter cuddlies: a little tiger who looks like the old Dream Pet Flying Rufus, and a young girl in a gingham dress who seems ripped straight from the pages of a child’s first reader. Awww!

What does it mean? Can’t tell you. It’s all just scenes from what we’re led to believe is Silver’s life—all monster and dark mysterious hills, Japanese newspapers (can’t read kanji), Japanese beer labels with pop-eyed owls, comic strips, a ’70s porno nipple shot, screaming tabloid headlines and King Edward Cigar labels. That, or Silver found this stuff on the street.

Either way, Jesus and Miller High Life will open a lot of art gallery doors—and Silver has both working for him. Jesus—the Champagne of deities—shows up in King, outlined over a label for currant-flavored vodka, an electrical warning sticker and a King Edward cigar label. It seems the son of God is down with alternating and direct current.

And in Blazin’ Arrow, you get the Champagne of Beers—a series of flattened, decoupaged beer labels powering some scary little monster onward and upward. It’s about time. That was you last Saturday, wasn’t it? Now it all makes sense.

Tags: art, damion silver, ddr projects, jesus, juxtapoz, Long Beach