The Connor Brothers Come Out of the Cult and Into the Art Scene

("The Honeymoon is Over!" image courtesy of Connor Brothers/Guy Hepner Gallery)

Are we are who we are today a matter of genetics, our environment, or both?

Friday November 22 might be a prime opportunity to ponder that question as the Guy Hepner Gallery in Los Angeles presents the first solo exhibition of the Connor Brothers, entitled "True Love Stories" where the twins continue their exploration into interpersonal relationships in the digital age.

The Connor twins were brought up within a secretive and highly controversial cult, known as "The Family." Born out of the hippie movement in 1968 and founded by David Berg, "The Family" was an extremist Christian cult whose members believed in something called "The System." (Actors Rose McGowan and Joaquin Phoenix also spent part of their respective childhoods within the group). As children, the twins were deprived of access to information from outside of their commune. Without access to mainstream media, their knowledge of the world was limited to the interactions and teachings they gained from other cult members. At sixteen, the boys left the group and ran away from home.

("You'll Call, Won't You?" image courtesy of the Connor Brothers/Guy Hepner Gallery)

Information deprivation at first caused the twins to be overwhelmed, and rightfully so. In time, they developed a system whereby each of them would read, watch and discover things independently and then share them with one another via a series of notebooks and sketchpads. This interaction developed into making artworks, a process they describe as "trying to make sense of the world". Their often-humorous work is steeped in references to both historic and popular culture, presenting an almost anthropological view of contemporary western society. Now in their early twenties, the twins live and work in Missouri and NYC.

Guy Hepner Gallery is located at 300 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048