The Lowdown On Lowbrow

My passion for art goes beyond "all things crafty" into the realm of "Pop Surrealism" or "Lowbrow Art." Lowbrow is a movement - slowly gaining momentum - that doesn't necessarily care if The Art World recognizes it as such. What matters to Lowbrow is that most of us average people do recognize it. Anyone who has ever watched cartoons, read Mad magazine, enjoyed a John Waters film, consumed a product with a corporate logo or possessed a sense of humor shouldn't have a hard time getting comfy with Lowbrow. It arose in the Los Angeles, California area in the late 1970s, and like I said, the name is interchangeable with "Pop Surrealism." Lowbrow art often has a sense of humor - sometimes this humor is gleeful, sometimes impish, and sometimes it's a sarcastic comment. One of the most famous (and I think becoming the most commercial, especially among celebrities) is Mark Ryden. He was born in Oregon, raised in Southern California, and has a brother and fellow artist, Keyth Ryden. He is married to Marion Peck, who is also a lowbrow artist. Here are some of my favorites of his:

Another fave is Naoto Hattori, a Japanese born painter who studied graphic design in Tokyo before moving to New York to study at the School of Visual Arts. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration in 2000. As well as painting, he works in editorial, CD and book covers, flyers, posters, skateboard and snowboard design. Here's some of his work:

Two magazines that feature Lowbrow art are Juxtapoz and High Fructose (my fave). Below are some links to other artists that I think are worth checking out:


Lori Earley

Alex Gross

Elizabeth McGrath

Joe Sorren

Todd Schorr

Laurie Lipton

Eric White