Kelly Hutchison, better known in the art world as Dark Vomit, is an American painter whose work sits at the crossroads of pop culture, satire, and the grotesque. His art explores the tension between innocence and corruption—where cartoon characters share the canvas with death, clowns take the place of saints, and America’s consumer culture becomes both a playground and a graveyard.
Often described as “surreal pop” or “lowbrow with teeth,” Hutchison’s paintings have been shown in galleries, museums, and alternative spaces worldwide. From depicting The Last Supper of Clowns to surreal landscapes where Disneyland collides with dystopia, his work pushes against polite boundaries while remaining accessible, witty, and unapologetically bold.
Background & Vision
Born with an eye for the absurd, Hutchison began creating under the pseudonym Dark Vomit as a way to purge the darkly comic truths that polite society buries. The name reflects his philosophy: art should be raw, irreverent, and unafraid to expose what makes us laugh, cringe, and think.
He is also the creator of Phony Face, a project dedicated to preserving and re-imagining vintage paper advertising masks from the 1930s–1990s. This side of his work links his fascination with nostalgia, disposable culture, and the strange artifacts of American life to his larger artistic vision.
Recognition & Exhibitions
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Exhibited in galleries and festivals across the U.S. and internationally
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Collected by private collectors, musicians, and pop culture figures
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Featured in publications covering underground and outsider art movements
Philosophy
For Hutchison, art isn’t about decoration—it’s about confrontation. Dark Vomit is both satire and exorcism: a way to laugh at the absurdity of culture while shining a light on the darkness we pretend not to see.