Mark Ryden

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 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. 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.

Mark Ryden s carnival of curiosities: Fuzzy bunnies, big-eyed girls, meat, magic, and mysteryBlending 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 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. 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.Text in English, French, and German

Mark Ryden returns with 20 new incredible portraits 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 20 new paintings Mark Ryden has created for his 2020's show at Emmanuel Perrotin's gallery in Shanghai, but also some of his most iconic master-pieces showcasing yaks and others creatures of his own mythology. With a statement essay from the artist and an introduction by Takashi Murakami ("the Warhol of Japan"), this "little pink book" will become an instant classic for the lovers of contemporary art and surrealism.