Courtney Love Shares Her Paintings, Goes Behind The Scenes Of Her First Art Show (EXCLUSIVE)

It hasn't been a quiet month for Courtney Love, and the next will bring its own share of noise. The singer/songwriter-turned-artist opens her first-ever exhibit at the Fred Torres Collaborations gallery in New York on May 3. Here, she shares with us drawing from the series, "And She's Not Even Pretty," and gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her painting at home.

"It's really a Kurt-free zone," Love told The Huffington Post of her collection. What began as a tribute to her girl crushes -- Gwyneth Paltrow, a friend of Love's, is drawn with son Moses -- became a more inward look at her relationships.

"A lot of this collection is about one romance," Love said, not taking the bait when we asked which one.

A title she once used for a zine in the early '90s, "And She's Not Even Pretty" references the way girls put down other girls, in respect to boys. The images are a series of fraught, doll-like women in vulnerable mental states, with sexuality driving much of the collection.

Love's desire to paint stems partially from her childhood, when her mother insisted she be an artist, buying her easels and African instruments to encourage her.

"It's embracing this thing in my life that haunted me," Love said.

In this video, taken by writer/comedian Mandy Stadtmiller, Love explains the process behind her drawing of a dead Sarah Bernhardt, inspired by the Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay." It's "really about being blonde," Love said.

Video edited by Amber Genuske

Below, see a selection of images from "And She's Not Even Pretty" -- some are unfinished, many are titled, some are not (yet?) titled, and all photos are taken by Ms. Love herself. The show will feature more than 45 drawings, done in colored pencil, pastel and watercolor, with excerpts of poetry, music lyrics and other writings scrawled over them.

Love was still adding to the collection when we spoke to her on Wednesday. Why?

"I don't know when I'll do this again," she said. "[But] if this works with me, there are gonna be a whole lot of other ones."

For more on Love's exhibit, visit Fred Torres Collaborations.

Comments

[Mark Schmidt]

05:56 AM on 08/06/2012

I was reading about her music and her life. Her art work expresses things in her music over the years and I think comes from her own conflicts and turmoil. I don't care about how she does it, but that she does it successfully.

All you who criticize her and hate her, I doubt you could live through a year of her life.

mark

[Barbara Box]

10:20 PM on 06/03/2012

This is not art

[alchemy]

07:42 AM on 05/29/2012

This is the SECOND HP Cortney Love piece readers have had to endure. There is a lot of serious art out there/ why have empty celebrity and this woman who has no talent on your pages once again. Fire the editor and get rid of this blogger who is probably paid by a PR person.

[Frankenchrist]

02:51 AM on 05/23/2012

It’s mildly amusing when so-called “celebrities” go on an artistic vanity trip and embarrass themselves.

[RoughCollie]

08:56 PM on 05/12/2012

As a former art gallery owner I found some pieces very good, however, thoughtful discrimination should be exercised. I love modern, expressive art and appreciate the creative process, I think her art has great promise and if she keeps going, she will continue to grow and develop with time and experience.

For those commentators who claim they could do far better, I say: Walk your talk. Go ahead and put your art out there on display for viewers, both educated and ignorant, to publicly comment on.

[darkmark]

12:26 PM on 05/06/2012

children should be allowed to develop.

[elfin12u]

07:00 AM on 05/05/2012

She appears somewhat influenced by Klimt. The one from the video is the best so far. She needs to focus on use of positive/negative space.

[rabit818]

08:52 PM on 05/04/2012

The gallery must be desperate for press to consider hanging the garbage Courtney 'painted'. And they got press.

[Gravenstein]

11:29 PM on 05/03/2012

Well, I don't much like her art either, but at least she made some art.

I appreciate the effort.

[ThePaintedSaint]

12:03 AM on 05/04/2012

Courtney, Marilyn Manson doodles better than this and makes a killing on it. Keep trying, peaches.

[Catherine Held]

07:56 PM on 05/03/2012

What an utter load of dog-crap.

[alanps]

01:36 PM on 05/01/2012

These are very poorly executed. Sad to say no gallery would hang these if it were not for the name attached.

[jnickmat]

11:17 PM on 04/30/2012

self-depracating vulgarity. art or stream of consciousness connect the dots? I vote for the latter.

[aliceco]

08:06 PM on 04/30/2012

I'd rather hang Phoebe from 'Friend's' art on my wall.

[Kristopher Kotcher]

06:16 PM on 04/30/2012

my eyes and my ears are bleeding after viewing this. Thanks.

[JLTurner]

01:25 PM on 04/30/2012

I'm not impressed, even my humble pieces are better.

[JLTurner]

01:34 PM on 04/30/2012

I'm very tire forgot to add this. http://2ndhandcreations.blogspot.com/