Lowbrow Art is a visual art movement born during the seventies. Its main influences seem to be related to comic books, punk rock, Hot Rods, and tattoo subcultures. Infused with mainstream American culture references, its intent is to portray the country’s most grotesque and common aspects.
This style, also referred to as Pop Surrealism, seems to take cues from Marcel Duchamp and the Dada artists. Though it began in California, it quickly spread throughout the United States, widening its own frameworks to match the context of the artists who were creating it. Cartoonists Robert Williams and Gary Panter were the first to develop this style.
Most of the artists who participate in this movement are self-taught, which seems to be problematic in terms of being recognized by art critics. However, this could be due to their use of several currently unpopular painting techniques. Mark Ryden and David MacDowell are two of the movements most acclaimed artists even though their works do not resemble each other’s. What appears to set them apart is their incredible personification of American Culture’s archetypes.
Mark Ryden’s innovative style makes any situation a valuable excuse to draw up a piece of the subconscious. There are those who claim that Lady Gaga’s 2010 MTV Video Music Awards raw meat dress was inspired by one of Ryden’s paintings. However, this has yet to be confirmed.
This artist knows how to balance the cute and the creepy, making it his internationally identifiable trademark. Blood and rag dolls harmoniously inhabit his canvases and also explore the limits of both charm and disgust. Ryden’s work seems a harmless proposal and yet it has been widely disapproved given some of its social commentary as well as the use of Catholic symbolism.
Despite the dreamlike setting of his characters, Ryden’s portraits are extremely psychological and seem to conjure a sort of innocent sensuality. Actresses and singers such as Christina Ricci and Katy Perry have been some of the muses he’s painted using an array of pastels that reminds the spectator of the illustrations found in a children’s book. His paintings seem to take a page from the Renaissance’s great masters and Dominique Ingres.
Ryden’s aesthetic can best be described as the representation of a terrifying fairy tale, made with a perfected technique that alludes to mystery and self-reflection.
The most bizarre sexual fantasies starring Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the subject of David MacDowell’s most recent series of paintings. The paintings feature both politicians gazing at each other in a sort of power scheming understanding amidst a Cheetos-filled paradise. All of the artist’s works seem to share this messed-up ideology that is sure to create a jaw-dropping response from its audience.
His canvases contain intricately composed action sequences that come to life, despite the absurdity surrounding them, remind the viewer of works from the Romantic period. MacDowell’s complex pieces seem to find their home in the Kitschy judging on its use of color and pop culture characters.
The elements that make up his body of work cross over to the controversial and create a satirical ensemble that seeks to mock the established social conventions of the West. His strong critiques against consumerism and idolization of empty figures are done through his own particular brand of comedy.
During interviews MacDowell has said that as long as he’s able to express his feelings, and keep a strong technique throughout his work, everything is fair game. To an extent, this is due to his achievement of reaching a perfect command of acrylic. His entire production catalogue can be referred to as iconoclastic, where bad taste and conflict come together to take a shot at the spectator’s sensibilities in order to create strong group of followers or detractors alike.
Translated by María Suárez
