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Mark Ryden: Pinxit
Mark Ryden’s carnival of curiosities
Blending themes of pop culture with techniques reminiscent of the old masters, Mark Ryden has created a singular style that blurs the traditional boundaries between high and low art. His work first garnered attention in the 1990s when he ushered in a new genre of painting, “Pop Surrealism,” dragging a host of followers in his wake. He has trumped the initial surrealist strategies by choosing subject matter loaded with cultural connotation.
Ryden’s vocabulary ranges from cryptic to cute , treading a fine line between nostalgic cliché and disturbing archetype. Seduced by his infinitely detailed and meticulously glazed surfaces, the viewer is confronted with the juxtaposition of the childhood innocence and the mysterious recesses of the soul. A subtle disquiet inhabits his paintings; the work is achingly beautiful as it hints at darker psychic stuff beneath the surface of cultural kitsch. In Ryden’s world cherubic girls rub elbows with strange and mysterious figures . Ornately carved frames lend the paintings a baroque exuberance that adds gravity to their enigmatic themes. Complex in its arcane and idiosyncratic subject matter, Ryden’s work can leave no viewer unmoved .
Pinxit , whose title refers to the Latin term meaning “painted by,” is organized by the themes of Ryden’s major exhibitions—The Meat Show, Bunnies & Bees, The Tree Show, and so on—and includes collected essays by Yoshitomo Nara, Carlo McCormick, and others, and a new essay by culture critic Kristine McKenna. Ryden’s paintings and drawings are reproduced using the finest technique available, and over a dozen of the paintings are foldouts that open to a staggering 150 cm (59 inches) across. Many books have been published on Mark Ryden before, but none like this large-format monograph, released in a boxed Collector’s Edition of 1,000 numbered copies, each signed by the artist ; and also available in an Art Edition of only 50 copies, which come with an artwork. This sweeping retrospective brings together nearly two decade’s worth of Mark Ryden’s paintings and works on paper, broadening the horizons of his uncanny universe and bringing it to the world, one big page at a time.
Blending themes of pop culture with techniques reminiscent of the old masters, Mark Ryden has created a singular style that blurs the traditional boundaries between high and low art. His work first garnered attention in the 1990s when he ushered in a new genre of painting, “Pop Surrealism,” dragging a host of followers in his wake. He has trumped the initial surrealist strategies by choosing subject matter loaded with cultural connotation.
Ryden’s vocabulary ranges from cryptic to cute , treading a fine line between nostalgic cliché and disturbing archetype. Seduced by his infinitely detailed and meticulously glazed surfaces, the viewer is confronted with the juxtaposition of the childhood innocence and the mysterious recesses of the soul. A subtle disquiet inhabits his paintings; the work is achingly beautiful as it hints at darker psychic stuff beneath the surface of cultural kitsch. In Ryden’s world cherubic girls rub elbows with strange and mysterious figures . Ornately carved frames lend the paintings a baroque exuberance that adds gravity to their enigmatic themes. Complex in its arcane and idiosyncratic subject matter, Ryden’s work can leave no viewer unmoved .
Pinxit , whose title refers to the Latin term meaning “painted by,” is organized by the themes of Ryden’s major exhibitions—The Meat Show, Bunnies & Bees, The Tree Show, and so on—and includes collected essays by Yoshitomo Nara, Carlo McCormick, and others, and a new essay by culture critic Kristine McKenna. Ryden’s paintings and drawings are reproduced using the finest technique available, and over a dozen of the paintings are foldouts that open to a staggering 150 cm (59 inches) across. Many books have been published on Mark Ryden before, but none like this large-format monograph, released in a boxed Collector’s Edition of 1,000 numbered copies, each signed by the artist ; and also available in an Art Edition of only 50 copies, which come with an artwork. This sweeping retrospective brings together nearly two decade’s worth of Mark Ryden’s paintings and works on paper, broadening the horizons of his uncanny universe and bringing it to the world, one big page at a time.
- GenresArtNonfiction
366 pages, Hardcover
First published November 25, 2011
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169 people want to read
About the author
Mark Ryden
37 books65 followersBlending themes of pop culture with techniques reminiscent of the old masters, Mark Ryden has created a singular style that blurs the traditional boundaries between high and low art. His work first garnered attention in the 1990s when he ushered in a new genre of painting, "Pop Surrealism", dragging a host of followers in his wake. Ryden has trumped the initial surrealist strategies by choosing subject matter loaded with cultural connotation.
Ryden’s vocabulary ranges from cryptic to cute, treading a fine line between nostalgic cliché and disturbing archetype. Seduced by his infinitely detailed and meticulously glazed surfaces, the viewer is confronted with the juxtaposition of the childhood innocence and the mysterious recesses of the soul. A subtle disquiet inhabits his paintings; the work is achingly beautiful as it hints at darker psychic stuff beneath the surface of cultural kitsch. In Ryden's world cherubic girls rub elbows with strange and mysterious figures. Ornately carved frames lend the paintings a baroque exuberance that adds gravity to their enigmatic themes.
Mark Ryden received a BFA in 1987 from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. His paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, including a retrospective “Wondertoonel” at the Frye Museum of Art in Seattle and Pasadena Museum of California Art, and in the exhibition "The Artist's Museum" at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles.
Ryden’s vocabulary ranges from cryptic to cute, treading a fine line between nostalgic cliché and disturbing archetype. Seduced by his infinitely detailed and meticulously glazed surfaces, the viewer is confronted with the juxtaposition of the childhood innocence and the mysterious recesses of the soul. A subtle disquiet inhabits his paintings; the work is achingly beautiful as it hints at darker psychic stuff beneath the surface of cultural kitsch. In Ryden's world cherubic girls rub elbows with strange and mysterious figures. Ornately carved frames lend the paintings a baroque exuberance that adds gravity to their enigmatic themes.
Mark Ryden received a BFA in 1987 from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. His paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, including a retrospective “Wondertoonel” at the Frye Museum of Art in Seattle and Pasadena Museum of California Art, and in the exhibition "The Artist's Museum" at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 1, 2018
Este libro fue un deleite de principio a fin. El arte de Mark Ryden es único, y en "Pinxit" se hace un recorrido por las exposiciones del artista desde su Meat Show en 1998, hasta su "Gay 90's"del 2010 . Este libro es una buena oportunidad para conocer y entender el trabajo de Ryden.
July 26, 2013
I'm still pretty much looking and reading parts of the essays written and admiring the artwork.
I only have one more week with this tall ass Pink Book. (really this book is pretty close to two feet tall) the librarian got it for me under strict rule. BE CAREFUL.
Filled with essays and Ryden's work from 1998-2010. Mark Ryden did album covers for Michael Jackson, Marcy's Playground, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and many others.
I only have one more week with this tall ass Pink Book. (really this book is pretty close to two feet tall) the librarian got it for me under strict rule. BE CAREFUL.
Filled with essays and Ryden's work from 1998-2010. Mark Ryden did album covers for Michael Jackson, Marcy's Playground, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and many others.
February 27, 2016
Ah Mark Ryden, where to start? First of all I want to point out that whether or not you like his work, you have to admire his amazing technique, otherwise you must be blind. The amount of details and the realism of his painting his simply astonishing (and yes they are painting, done entirely by hand with oil, no computer enhancement here even if it might seem so,considering the tremendous quality of the images)
Just look at all those amazing details!
I personally adore Ryden's style. Of course the technique is perfect, but the themes also talk to me a lot. It's like looking at a dream, a cute yet quite creepy dream. And I appreciate the fact that, as told in this magnificent book, Ryden doesn't think there is anything to explain, to "interpret" in his paintings. There is no hidden message, the painting IS the message and you're free to feel and to think anything you want when you look at it. I always hated the academic way of thinking, where everything has a super deep interpretation, and it's stated as a fact even thought the artist is often dead and we cannot ask him for his opinion. And even if we could, I think once the painting is done, it doesn't belong to the artist anymore but to the public; art is all about your own feelings and your own interpretation, and pretending there is one true interpretation (even the interpretation of the artist himself) is just stupid.
The thing I love the most about Ryden's work are his girls, their faces, their unique expressions, their beautiful eyes, their wonderful hair.
Mark Ryden is my favorite painter, I love him even more than Salvador Dali who's a master of surrealism. But Ryden's work touches me more, and that's all I need.
I think he would be perfect to illustrate Alice in Wonderland, don't you?
Just look at all those amazing details!
I personally adore Ryden's style. Of course the technique is perfect, but the themes also talk to me a lot. It's like looking at a dream, a cute yet quite creepy dream. And I appreciate the fact that, as told in this magnificent book, Ryden doesn't think there is anything to explain, to "interpret" in his paintings. There is no hidden message, the painting IS the message and you're free to feel and to think anything you want when you look at it. I always hated the academic way of thinking, where everything has a super deep interpretation, and it's stated as a fact even thought the artist is often dead and we cannot ask him for his opinion. And even if we could, I think once the painting is done, it doesn't belong to the artist anymore but to the public; art is all about your own feelings and your own interpretation, and pretending there is one true interpretation (even the interpretation of the artist himself) is just stupid.
The thing I love the most about Ryden's work are his girls, their faces, their unique expressions, their beautiful eyes, their wonderful hair.
Mark Ryden is my favorite painter, I love him even more than Salvador Dali who's a master of surrealism. But Ryden's work touches me more, and that's all I need.
I think he would be perfect to illustrate Alice in Wonderland, don't you?
February 24, 2019
Absolutely beautiful book, I'd never seen Mark Ryden's work until I stumbled across this book. The pink cover drew me in and the artwork within, I fell in love with. I've not yet read any of the passages but the artwork alone is reason enough to buy this book. One of my favourite artists; though I am still very much a baby in terms of art so whether he will be my number one remains to be seen.
July 13, 2022
I bought it in an art gallery where Ryden's works where exhibited. I wanted it mainly for the pictures but to my surprise I found very deep and thoughtful notes by other artists that reflexed about his work. It is a huge (and quite heavy) coffee table book, a must have for Ryden's fans.
March 6, 2018
Mark Ryden’s art is not for the faint hearted ☺️. This beauty by Taschen shows his work for the artist/magician that he is, great collection ♥️
June 1, 2018
Este tipo de libros alimenta mi alma y apacigua mi ansia. Fascinante todo lo que crea Mark ryden.
September 12, 2015
Pinxit es más un portafolio que un libro escrito, ¿pero a quién le importa eso? Hablamos del jodido Mark Ryden, unos de los reyes del movimiento lowbrow, un artista inclasificable responsable de obras míticas como la deliciosa portada Dangerous de Michael Jackson.
No existe invitación mejor para introducirse en el circo onírico de muñecas rotas, Jesucristos pop, barbies decadentes e inquietantes caricaturas de Abraham Lincoln que Pinxit. Es como Tim Burton con esteroides, como Alicia en el País de las Maravillas en modo epidemia zombi, un exceso visual portentoso que pocos artistas de su movimiento pueden igualar, salvo Nicoletta Ceccoli y el sublime Ray Caesar.
Siempre me ha inspirado como ilustrador, y siempre lo hará.
No existe invitación mejor para introducirse en el circo onírico de muñecas rotas, Jesucristos pop, barbies decadentes e inquietantes caricaturas de Abraham Lincoln que Pinxit. Es como Tim Burton con esteroides, como Alicia en el País de las Maravillas en modo epidemia zombi, un exceso visual portentoso que pocos artistas de su movimiento pueden igualar, salvo Nicoletta Ceccoli y el sublime Ray Caesar.
Siempre me ha inspirado como ilustrador, y siempre lo hará.
August 15, 2013
Fantastic book. Great buy. Huge assortment from Ryden's career, best book yet!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews