Mark Ryden returns with an incredible gallery of creatures

From his Snow Yak to his very personal interpretation of the California bear, for more than 20 years Mark Ryden has populated an incredible “pop surrealist” bestiary of half-animal, half-plush creatures. Freely inspired by the Rushton toys that enjoyed their heyday in America in the ’60s and ’70s, these creatures are now the object of a cult worship among fans of the artist, and are one of his marks of distinction in the world of contemporary art.

This book reveals the details and backgrounds of the new paintings Mark Ryden has created for his 2020 show at Emmanuel Perrotin‘s gallery in Shanghai, organized in collaboration with Kasmin Gallery, but also some of his most iconic master-pieces showcasing yaks and others creatures of his own mythology.

With a statement from the artist and an essay by Linda Tesner, this pink book will become an instant classic for the lovers of contemporary art and surrealism.

About the Author: 

Blending pop culture themes 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 topics loaded with cultural connotation. Follow him at markryden.com.

In 2017, Mark Ryden, the “Godfather of Pop Surrealism,” tackled a new medium: ballet. In partnership with American Ballet Theatre (ABT), he created “Whipped Cream,” a new masterpiece that has since become a part of the theatre’s classic repertoire.

Featuring interviews with and commentaries from principal dancers — including Misty Copleland, David Hallberg, Stella Abrera, Gillian Murphy, and Daniil Simkin—and members of the creative team, The Art of Whipped Cream showcases Ryden’s amazing concept art as well as paintings made specifically for this publication. Follow Mark Ryden’s process from initial drawings to set design and be a part of this groundbreaking new ballet. From costumes to backdrops and accessories, you’ll be able to observe and experience the show through exclusive images as if you were sitting in the first row!

About the Authors:

Blending pop culture themes 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 topics loaded with cultural connotation.

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 career-spanning retrospective “Cámara de las maravillas” at The Centro de Arte Contemporáneo of Málaga, as well as an earlier retrospective “Wondertoonel” at the Frye Museum of Art in Seattle and Pasadena Museum of California Art. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, the artist Marion Peck.

Alexei Ratmansky was born in St. Petersburg and trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School in Moscow. His performing career included positions as principal dancer with Ukrainian National Ballet, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet. He has choreographed ballets for the Mariinsky Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Kiev Ballet and the State Ballet of Georgia.

Previously published by Taschen and Rizzoli, Mark Ryden is currently one of today s most celebrated names in the contemporary art scene. Crowned the 'godfather of pop surrealism', he is adored and followed by millions of fans.

The Gay 90's, fondly known as Ryden's greatest work. Showcased in two large galleries in New York and Los Angeles, the exhibit became the subject of a book published by Rizzoli in the United States. Now, Cernunnos brings Ryden's fans 24 collector s postcards of his most famous paintings.

Crowned the “godfather of pop surrealism”, Mark Ryden is followed and adored by millions of fans. Contained in this set are 24 collector postcards of his most famous paintings.

About the Author:

Blending pop cultural themes with art techniques reminiscent of the Old Masters, Mark Ryden has created a singular style that blurs the traditional boundaries between high and low art. His paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, and his work is part of the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Amanda Erlanson is a writer, art collector, and editor of the art blog "Erratic Phenomena."

Since the first dissections of corpses, anatomy and art have always been connected.

From Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings to Francis Bacon’s naked figures, artists have always been interested in the representation of the human as a biological being. Today, anatomy is back in vogue in contemporary art following the rebirth of gothic and horror in the entertainment industry.

This book features a celebration of anatomy, flesh, and bone by more than 60 contemporary international artists and celebrities including Damien Hirst, Mark Ryden, Jason Freeny, and Nychos.

About the Author:

Blending pop cultural themes with art techniques reminiscent of the Old Masters, Mark Ryden has created a singular style that blurs the traditional boundaries between high and low art. His paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, and his work is part of the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Amanda Erlanson is a writer, art collector, and editor of the art blog "Erratic Phenomena."

Celebrated Pop Surrealist artist Mark Ryden’s newest body of work, presented in this book for the first time.

Crowned "the high prince of Lowbrow," Mark Ryden has become a fixture of the contemporary alternative art movement. In his newest work, Mark Ryden: The Gay 90’s, the artist casts his skewed perspective toward the turn of the nineteenth century with such creepy yet beautiful works as a portrait of Abraham Lincoln dressed in foppish 1890s fashion and surrounded with a heavenly nimbus, Jesus Christ playing a pink piano for an audience of kewpie triplet girls, and a Gibson girl in a tight corset constructed entirely of meat.

With masterful painting technique and disquieting content, Ryden’s newest paintings display his fascination with the earnest kitsch found in popular art of the end of the 1800s, yet reinforces how his paintings now more than ever are a skewering of both historical and current pop cultural touchstones. Ryden’s visual cues range from cryptic to cute, balancing his compositions between nostalgic cliché and disturbing archetype.

This book showcases his talent for creating paintings that marry accessibility and technique with visceral resonance and sociocultural relevance, making it easy to see why he garners the ardent attention of museums, critics, and serious collectors alike.

About the Author:

Blending pop cultural themes with art techniques reminiscent of the Old Masters, Mark Ryden has created a singular style that blurs the traditional boundaries between high and low art. His paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, and his work is part of the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Amanda Erlanson is a writer, art collector, and editor of the art blog "Erratic Phenomena."

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Пролистать книгу Mark Ryden: The Gay '90s на сайте издательства.

Fuzzy bunnies, big-eyed girls, meat, magic, and mystery. Mark Ryden's carnival of curiosities

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. He 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 cliché 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. Complex in its arcane and idiosyncratic subject matter, Ryden’s work can leave no viewer unmoved.

Pinxit, whose title refers to the Latin term meaning "painted by," is organized by the themes of Ryden’s major exhibitions — The Meat Show, Bunnies & Bees, The Tree Show, and so on — and includes collected essays by Yoshitomo Nara, Carlo McCormick, and others, and a new essay by culture critic Kristine McKenna. This sweeping retrospective brings together nearly two decade’s worth of Mark Ryden’s paintings and works on paper, broadening the horizons of his uncanny universe and bringing it to the world, one page at a time.

The artist:

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.