Weirdo Deluxe: The Wild World of Pop Surrealism & Lowbrow Art

From Booklist
The simultaneously retro and pomo lowbrow art movement is on display in cutting-edge galleries, such magazines as Juxtapoz, and such books as the long-running annual comics-art anthology Blab! Jordan points out in the introduction to this guided tour of the movement that the movement isn't itself lowbrow, though the influences on which it draws--punk rock, the tiki lounge revival, folk art, kitsch in general--decidedly are. Jordan showcases two-dozen artists, from pioneers (and former 1970s underground comics creators) Robert Williams and Gary Panter to younger practitioners Gary Baseman and Mark Ryden. More than 100 reproductions appear, along with the artists' comments on their obsessions, collections, and the movement; many of them disdain the lowbrow label, and Williams voices contempt for the "new guys" following in his footsteps, accusing them of wooing a mass audience. He has a point. The once subversive and slightly dangerous is now accessible and benign. Hence this book of attractive, clever, congenial stuff--especially so to those who enjoy pop culture at its most embarrassing. Gordon Flagg
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Book Description
"Lowbrow" it may be called, but high-profile best describes the cultural impact of this contemporary art movement. Found everywhere from wine labels and high-end bar accessories to major motion pictures (Teacher's Pet, the upcoming Pink Panther), the visibility of this dynamic work has rapidly increased in the last few years to worldwide recognition and acclaim. Weirdo Deluxe is the first significant manifesto of the genre—a riotous blend of pop culture, street culture, pop art, and surrealism—and includes profiles of and interviews with 23 leading artists and hundreds of outrageous examples of their work. Special features include an expansive timeline, and peeks at the artists' collections and influences. Weirdo Deluxe is at once a primer and lowbrow art sourcebook as well as a visual homage to pop culture.

About the Author
Matt Dukes Jordan is a journalist, poet, actor, stand-up comic, painter, photographer, and filmmaker who currently lives in Los Angeles. His articles have appeared in Playboy Online, the Miami New Times, NoHoLA, and Venice magazine.


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Author Biography: Matt Dukes Jordan is a journalist, poet, actor, stand-up comic, painter, photographer, and filmmaker who currently lives in Los Angeles. His articles have appeared in Playboy Online, the Miami New Times, NoHoLA, and Venice magazine.


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