Ron English "POPaganda"

Go out on the street…look for him on walls, in magazines and in galleries. The work manifests as sculpture, paintings and toys along with his own movies and cameos appearances. Ron English is just about everywhere. “POPaganda” is the name of choice he has dubbed his art and his claim to fame is with much warranted. That being said Ron takes on contemporary and counter-culture ideas and art. He is recognized in both streams and duly respected.  

The work is colorful, hyper-real and extravagant. His sometimes bizarre references on contemporary consumerism, culture and art history are amusing and at times disturbing. English does not believe in leaving his viewers with any lack of zeal. His hand is sure and the technique masterful.  He has influenced elections as much as any artist especially in the campaign of Barack Obama (2008). His work “Abraham Obama” was inspired from his feeling that there was a definite similarity between the 16^th President and the then to be 44^th president in looks, demeanor and historical relevance.

                                                                                         

You can look for Tony-the-Tiger, Cap’n Crunch and Toucan Sam as enlarged obese symbols of American obsessive habits and addictions in the English oeuvre. The Frankenstein Monster, the Incredible Hulk, the Marlboro Man and Homer Simpson are not spared English’s scrutiny and abuse. Creatures from the animal kingdom are hardly spared or excluded; English is very generous in his appetite for extreme satirical candor.

It is actually Pablo Picasso’s Guernica that English has referenced to the largest degree and number. His recreations and improvisation on the bombing of the small Spanish village (one of the world greatest and utterly heartless acts of crimes against humanity) that continues to intrigue and inspire the contemporary artist. His parody’s can be humorous and ironic but some are equal to the original even daring to surpass in horror the original.   

English continues to work and explore the infinite. He is an artist well into but still in his prime and expands his inextinguishable thirst for creativity. His journey is one that is open to the world. I can only encourage you as he would love you to join along.  

Cubism

Imagine shattering the wall of reality and then putting it back together based on the relationship of light to shadow, random juxtaposition of geometric forms and color guided only by the particular artist’s own whims and fancy. Picasso takes the world our vision senses as reality, steps away from it, bludgeons it with a sledge hammer and reassembles it with the care of a madman. This was his genius.