When I first opened The Shooting Gallery in the spring of 2003, the idea was to open an art space where anyone could come in to look at art and not feel intimidated or uncomfortable by the environment or it’s staff. I also wanted to open a gallery that showed the art that I enjoyed and to satisfy my need to be around art all the time. Too many times have I gone into a gallery and felt disappointed by the experience and left feeling let down. Not only were they rude to me but they weren’t showing anything I liked. In my opinion, it sucked. Of course ones taste in art is purely subjective and what I might find beautiful, someone else would call trash. That’s the beauty of the art world. Everything has a place and a purpose to the individual viewer. And every gallery is an expression of the owner’s personality and taste and thus, I think above judgment. But none of this makes up for pompous employees and arrogant gallery owners. I can get over bad art, but I can’t get over bad people. So whether your wealthy or homeless, your welcome to come to my gallery and feel comfortable enough to look around. I even try to make it a habit of greeting everyone that walks in the door.

I grew up in California on a skateboard listening to punk & Rock-A-Billy music and I think my taste in art is reflective of that. All through out my formative years I was into Tattoo art (although I don’t have any), erotic photography, hot rods, skateboard art, comic’s, punk album cover’s, pop art, Japanimation, pin stripping and outsider art. I wasn’t into pretty paintings of still life’s and landscapes or Bronze sculptures and Absract art. There’s nothing wrong with them, but it just isn’t my cup of tea normally. Right around the age of 22 I saw the first issue of Juxtapoz Magazine and at the risk of sounding cliché; it changed my life to a degree. It was the premier issue and had Robert Williams on the cover and Big Daddy Ed Roth and Von Dutch within the mag as well. I loved it front to back. An entire magazine with art I loved. Who were these artists and where did they come from. California of course! The West Coast. The magazine was a combination of all the things I loved in art, and some other things that were new to me. Juxtapoz was my introduction to Robert Williams, Ed Roth, Von Dutch, Niagara, Coop, David Perry, Anthony Ausgang, Kozik, The Pizz, Winston Smith, Charles Krafft, Robert Crumb, Spain Rodriguez, S. Clay Wilson, Rick Griffin, Shepard Fairey, Isabel Samaras, SHAG, Mark Ryden and many countless others.

This new art movement was called Low Brow. A term that I thought sounded really cool at the time and was proud to say I was a part of. I only found out later the definition of Low Brow and it kinda pissed me off. I only thought to look up the meaning behind the term after I heard what the term High Brow meant. If High Brow meant an air of superior intellectual or cultural interests and tastes than that could only mean that Low Brow was the exact opposite. That’s not cool, nor do I think it’s true. I think there’s more intellect in one of Robert William’s painting then in most artist’s entire body of work. This of course is my personal opinion and subject for debate but none the less true inside my gallery. There have been a few other terms for this art movement like Pop Surrealism, Popularism, Surreal Populism and Neo-Surrealism which are all fine for me, but I’m not really so concerned with defining the movement as I am being a part of it. It’s all fine art to me.

The Shooting gallery has and will always try to maintain it’s original concept of being a space where art is a pleasurable experience for everyone and I, Justin Giarla, get to show the artists I love.

- Justin Giarla