Land of Retinal Delights:Juxtapoz Factor (6/22/08)

[sketchypad]

I'm planning on attending the opening .. who else is in?

Check out my art blog: sketchypad
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Laguna Beach Art Museum
June 22 - October 5, 2008

In the Land of Retinal Delights: The Juxtapoz Factor is an exhibition that presents the work of 150 artists and posits that there has been a huge, but unacknowledged art movement taking place in this country for the last 40 years. Since 1994, this ground swelling of lowbrow, surrealistic, pop, figurative, narrative work has coalesced and found a voice in the pages of Juxtapoz magazine published in San Francisco. This rag has become the most widely read art magazine in the US. It is an influencing force on the aspiring artists of Generation Y and the Millenials, who are now enrolling in art schools in numbers never seen before.

Juxtapoz magazine was founded by Los Angeles-artist Robert Williams. The “Juxtapoz aesthetic or lowbrow art” is almost always figurative, and is inspired by movies, TV, advertising, black-velvet painting, psychedelic posters, pulp porn, sci-fi and horror, carnival art, comics books and all things lower- and middle-class. The Magazine has and does provide a voice and validation for a brand of artist, like Williams, who has not been accepted traditionally by the typical art-world infrastructure of collector, curator, and critic. However, since its founding, it has been the clear focal point for having been the inspiration for the creation of its own infrastructure that supports Juxtapozian art with galleries in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and New York, collectors, followed by critical attention, followed by museum exhibitions at adventurous institutions. With it’s growing success Juxtapoz has been a major contributor to the reemergence of painting again as a valid practice for artists since the mid-1990s, running counter to forty-years of art-school canon that focused on the Conceptual practice of context, collectivization, and dematerialization of the art object.

For the last decade the art establishment (collector, curator, and critic) has argued that the idea, or construct, of an art movement is outmoded. This exhibition explores the idea of a “Juxtapoz Factor.” Is it an organized movement operating under a singular manifesto? Or is it a wave of talented overlooked artists who decided to reach out to the public and create their own canon?


This exhibition is organized by Laguna Art Museum and curated by Meg Linton, Director of the Ben Maltz Gallery and Public Programs at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. The exhibition is accompanied by a full-color catalogue with essays by the curator and Laguna Art Museum director Bolton Colburn.

ARTISTS INCLUDED:

Ray Martin Abeyta
Van Arno
Anthony Ausgang
Glenn Barr
Gary Baseman
Becca
Peter Beste
Sandow Birk
Tim Biskup
Chaz Bojorquez
Tiffany Bozic
Andrew Brandou
Nathan Cabrera
Ray Caesar
Thomas Campbell
Enrique Chagoya
Sas Christian
Clayton Brothers (Rob and Christian)
Wayne Coe
Sue Coe
Lynn Coleman
Coop
R. Crumb
Timothy Cummings
Dalek
Henry Darger
Mike Davis
Einar and Jamex de la Torre
Emek
Ron English
James Esber
Richard Evans
Neck Face
Shepard Fairey
The Date Farmers
Carlee Fernandez
Tony Fitzpatrick
Jim Flora
AJ Fosik
Llyn Foulkes
Phil Frost
Ernst Fuchs
Gajin Fujita
Helen Garber
Camille Rose Garcia
Os Gemeo
Gregg Gibbs
Jeff Gillette
Doze Green
Alex Grey
Rick Griffin
Alex Gross
Moira Hahn
Don Ed Hardy
F. Scott Hess
Laurie Hogin
Seonna Hong
Jim Houser
Michael Hussar
Anya Janssen
Sylvia Ji
Dean Karr
Mike Kelley
Frank Kozik
Charles Krafft
Bari Kumar
Paul Laffoley
Edgar Leeteg
Matt Leines
Zhi Lin
Laurie Lipton
Liza Lou
Jason Maloney
Chris Mars
Paul McCarthy
Barry McGee
Elizabeth McGrath
Michael C. McMillen
Victor Moscoso
Stanley Mouse
Takashi Murakami
Scott Musgrove
Wangechi Mutu
Caleb Neelon
Niagra
Irving Norman
Manuel Ocampo
Estevan Oriol
Gary Panter
Marion Peck
Savage Pencil
David Perry
Raymond Pettibon
Patricia Piccinini
The Pizz
Gail Potocki
Spain Rodriguez
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth
Mark Ryden
Saber
Isabel Samaras
David Sandlin
Jorge Santos
Judith Schaechter
Kenny Scharf
Kathy Staico Schorr
Todd Schorr
Andrew Schoultz
Andres Serrano
SHAG
Jim Shaw
Gilbert Shelton
R. K. Sloane
Joe Sorren
Jeff Soto
Craig Stecyk
Fred Stonehouse
Jon Swihart
Swoon
Stanislav Szukalski
Masami Teraoka
Vince Valdez
Jeffrey Vallance
Mark Dean Veca
Cristina Vergano
Nicola Verlato
Von Dutch
Kara Walker
Adam Wallacavage
Eric White
Robert Williams
Kent Williams
Suzanne Williams
S. Clay Wilson
Jerome Witkin
Joel-Peter Witkin
Basil Wolverton
Thomas Woodruff
Miriam Wosk
XNO
Kenji Yanobe
Chet Zar
Peter Zokosky

[sleepboy]

Although I'm not necessarily a Juxtapoz fan, it sounds like a great lineup! Will definitely be checking this out. I know some fellow collectors will be having their pieces on loan to the museum for this show... Great museum too, I remember enjoying the Baseman/Biskup show very much.

[sketchypad]

Yeah, looking forward to it. The opening is Sat. June 21st ... I think you need to be a member or have an invite to get in.

[thinkspace]

For sure - can't wait. It is a great space, but it's going to be packed with this monster. This is a huge show and Juxtapoz should be proud of having their name on this. It's going to travel from what I hear, which will be so huge for this scene/segment of the art world.

It's a drive from LA, but I expect many to be making the trip up for the big Sat kickoff event.

Sure to be a who's who of the new contemporary/pop surrealism scene.

[sleepboy]

[mute]

You know, I was asked if I would have my Sylvia Ji piece "Requiem" displayed at this show but declined due to the fact that I only had literally just hung it on my wall and thought it was too soon to be parting with it. The gallery thought it would be a great example of her work(and I agree). My main worry was that something would happen to it traveling across the country twice more without it ever being displayed in my home. I really had to take a long time to give them my answer. I feel kind of bad since this looks like it's going to be an amazing showing of art.

[oldfartatplay]

That a tough decision to make mute, and I understand your feelings. I think to have a piece from your collection in that show would be an honor. This is going to be one those exhibits that will be looked back on for years.

[sketchypad]

May 30, 2008 16:45:49 GMT -8 mute said:

You know, I was asked if I would have my Sylvia Ji piece "Requiem" displayed at this show but declined due to the fact that I only had literally just hung it on my wall and thought it was too soon to be parting with it.

Yeah, that's kind of a tough call to make. What's nice is that there is going to be an accompanying catalog for the show designed by murphy design, with attribution to the collector. Also, all lenders and artists are getting invitations to the opening reception.

I loaned a piece for an artist's retrospective a couple years ago, and it was quite a thrill to see my piece hung alongside the artists' other work. I got a nice credit in the book (always fun to see your name in print). There was also a dinner reception where many of the other lenders got to chat with one another.

Would definitely recommend that if anyone has the opportunity to loan a piece out to do it, it's a great experience.

[mute]

I agree that it would be an honor, I was honored that they even asked. I told them that if I lived on the West Coast it would be a done deal. I would of delivered it to the gallery myself. Being that I live in the Midwest I would have never been able to make the show in person. I do think it would have been cool for it to be displayed near the "Creatrix", they almost had me when they said Ryden.

[sleepboy]

Is the opening on Sunday or Saturday? Is one invite only? What time are you guys going?

[sketchypad]

Jun 19, 2008 8:28:45 GMT -8 sleepboy said:

Is the opening on Sunday or Saturday? Is one invite only? What time are you guys going?

Reception is by invite only and it's this Sat.

[sleepboy]

Jun 19, 2008 9:03:31 GMT -8 sketchypad said:

Jun 19, 2008 8:28:45 GMT -8 sleepboy said:

Is the opening on Sunday or Saturday? Is one invite only? What time are you guys going?

Reception is by invite only and it's this Sat.

thanks, i guess i'll go some other day along with all the peasants.

[sketchypad]

I'm flying down for this show and can bring 1 guest if someone is really itching to attend the reception ... PM me if interested. Going to try to hit it up at 6pm.

If there's a lot of interest, I'll pick the person with the best reason for wanting to go.

[marcusslo]

looks like i can make it... i will bring 3 peasants with me

[sleepboy]

Wow, what a great show. Lot's of artists, galleries, collectors there... Some thoughts.

1) Ryden's Creatrix is so huge and awesome. So detailed in person. Worth the price of admission alone just to see that.
2) Parking was hell, and the smell of the sea for some reason did not smell good...
3) That Mark Parker guy has an impressive collection, almost all the nice pieces were his. Guess it's nice to be rich.
4) Biskup looked weird with his haircut... Seonna Hong looks pretty hot and showed up with a male guest...poor Tim. Her piece was pretty awesome in person.
5) Saw Lance Armstrong and Kate Hudson, guess they are a couple
6) Guess I'm too young cuz half the pieces there, I never heard of the artist.

Will try to post some pics later tonight.

[sleepboy]

More pics here.

[oldfartatplay]

Thanks for the pics sleepboy, I've been waiting to see some posted on various blogs and such. What on earth are those brown things in the display case in the 3rd picture? They look like turds!

[sketchypad]

Got some pics up of the show here:
tinyurl.com/58xc5e
www.flickr.com/photos/sketchypad/sets/72157605764172708/

Here's a few:

[sleepboy]

Jun 23, 2008 6:01:44 GMT -8 oldfartatplay said:

Thanks for the pics sleepboy, I've been waiting to see some posted on various blogs and such. What on earth are those brown things in the display case in the 3rd picture? They look like turds!

i think it's doodoo lol. not sure why it's art. didn't really look to see who the artist is. by the way, can't stop looking at this houser installation



make sure anyone local go by and check this show out...

[jimandtara]

Tara and I are trying to find a weekend yet this summer to fly out to see this show. A rare opportunity to see so many important works in one place at the same time...its definately a solid assemblage of the artists/works presented throughout the evolution of Juxtapoz over the years.

Thanks again Mike for the full Flicker set - we've looked at it about 50 times!

That catalog is going to be a thing of beauty if I know Mark...

jIm

ps - mute, I understand your reservations about lending your piece out so soon and for such a long run (I'm hyper-protective of my pieces too) but in the end, I think the honor of one of my pieces being represented in the company of this historic lot would've been too good to pass up.

[ally]

my favorite painting in all her glory...
(larry is 6'2" for size comparison....

show is amazing. location is steps from the cliffs and tide pools my favorites were chris mars, joe sorren, and tiffany bozik the todd schorr was crazy. took 8 guys to hang the piece!

security was upset that i was taking photos but were nice enough to not have me delete them

dont miss out on the ryden shirts in the gift shop. a must have!

[masao626]

Damn. with Larry in the frame, you really see how incredibly large and detailed this piece is.

does anyone know who own's this?

[oldfartatplay]

Jul 20, 2008 5:22:48 GMT -8 masao626 said:

Damn. with Larry in the frame, you really see how incredibly large and detailed this piece is.

does anyone know who own's this?

I'm pretty sure it's en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Parker

[sleepboy]

Jul 20, 2008 6:41:23 GMT -8 oldfartatplay said:

Jul 20, 2008 5:22:48 GMT -8 masao626 said:

Damn. with Larry in the frame, you really see how incredibly large and detailed this piece is.

does anyone know who own's this?

I'm pretty sure it's en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Parker

Yes, that b*stard owned alot of paintings in the show haha. This was indeed the star painting in the show. I heard he bought it for around 500K and has been offered 1.5 million for it already. Marcus took some detailed pics of it here.

[sleepboy]