The Gay 90's

Imprint:   Cernunnos
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 238mm,  Width: 162mm,  Spine: 19mm
ISBN:   9782374950006
ISBN 10:   237495000X
Pages:   24
Publication Date:   01 August 2019
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Blending themes of pop culture with techniques reminiscent of the old masters, Mark Ryden has created a singular style that blurs the traditional boundaries between high and low art. His work first garnered attention in the 1990s when he ushered in a new genre of painting, Pop Surrealism, dragging a host of followers in his wake. Ryden has trumped the initial surrealist strategies by choosing subject matter loaded with cultural connotation. Ryden s vocabulary ranges from cryptic to cute, treading a fine line between nostalgic cliche and disturbing archetype. Seduced by his infinitely detailed and meticulously glazed surfaces, the viewer is confronted with the juxtaposition of the childhood innocence and the mysterious recesses of the soul. A subtle disquiet inhabits his paintings; the work is achingly beautiful as it hints at darker psychic stuff beneath the surface of cultural kitsch. In Ryden's world cherubic girls rub elbows with strange and mysterious figures. Ornately carved frames lend the paintings a baroque exuberance that adds gravity to their enigmatic themes. Mark Ryden received a BFA in 1987 from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. His paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, including a retrospective Wondertoonel at the Frye Museum of Art in Seattle and Pasadena Museum of California Art, and in the exhibition The Artist's Museum at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles. <b>Solo Exhibitions</b> <b>2015</b> Dodecahedron, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York, New York <b>2014</b> The Gay 90's West, Michael Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles, California <b>2010</b> The Gay 90's Olde Tyme Art Show, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York, New York <b>2009</b> The Snow Yak Show, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan <b>2007</b> The Tree Show, Michael Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles, California <b>2005</b> Wondertoonel, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, California <b>2004</b> Wondertoonel, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, Washington <b>2003</b> Blood Earl McGrath Gallery, Los Angeles, California Insalata Mista Mondo Bizzarro Gallery, Bologna, Italy <b>2002</b> Bunnies and Bees, Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, California <b>2001</b> Bunnies and Bees, Earl McGrath Gallery, New York, New York Amalgamation, Outre Gallery, Melbourne, Australia <b>1998</b> The Meat Show, Mendenhall Gallery, Pasadena, California