‘VelvetMania’ Exhibit Features 35 Black Velvet Portraits Of Pro Wrestlers, We Are Living In A New Renaissance

Listen: I am a dude who has a framed portrait of Destro from G.I. Joe hanging in my living room directly across from the front door so that visitors know exactly what they're getting into from the moment they set foot into my crib, so I think I know a little something about fine art. Now that my credentials are in order, I'm pleased to announce that we are currently living in the greatest artistic renaissance of all time. Why? Because we are living in a world where art galleries feature exhibits of black velvet paintings of professional wrestlers.

The gallery in question is, of course, the Los Angeles based Gallery 1988, known to CA readers as the host of the Adult Swim art show and other pop cultural delights, and it's the brainchild of gallery owner Jensen Karp and artist Bruce White. The exhibit, which opens this Friday night, will feature 35 portraits of stars from WWF's "New Generation," including Razor Ramon, Mr. Perfect and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. Check out a preview below!

With this exhibit, Gallery 1988 has a shot at becoming the second-greatest gallery of velvet paintings in the world (the first, of course, being New Jersey radio station WFMU). For more information, check out Karp's Tumblr.