ARTSOK, the Regional Arts Alliance of Broken Arrow, will present the Art After Hours exhibition “Gods and Fools” by Micheal Jones on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 5:30 p.m., at The Loft over Main Street Tavern in the Rose District. It is the first time many of these works have been viewed.

“After spending a month in Italy last year studying the great nude paintings of mythological figures rendered in the style of the age in which they were painted,  I wondered,’“How could I portray those ancient personalities now, in a contemporary setting?’” said Jones.

Upon his return to the United States, he set about creating the “Gods and Fools” collection, using young models in a contemporary setting, putting a modern twist on the old subjects.

“I depicted the models as they are, with tattoos, scars etc. with contemporary props and settings,” said Jones.

Some of the subjects include a modern day Bacchus with a beer, and Hades in a swing with a cigarette and a glaring rude gesture. Endymion lies in eternal sleep covered by the “wedding ring” quilt made by his grandmother.  Flora rests on a nice bed with an embroidered coverlet while Pandora contorts with curiosity as she opens the famed box of ills.

While they are no more “nude” than the figures in Caravaggio’s masterpieces, in modern times, they evoke a slightly erotic feeling. Viewer discretion is advised.

“I have painted all these works in acrylic on canvas, using a technique I like to call ‘contemporary realism,’ with all the freshness and spontaneity of my modern technique,” said Jones.

Art After Hours is sponsored by The Arrow Group. For additional information, please call 918-629-6426.