Never Lasting Miracles: The Art of Todd Schorr

by Todd Schorr

Neverlasting Miracles is an exquisite career retrospective, presenting the best works of artist Todd Schorr. One of the leading figures in the world of contemporary surrealism, Schorr has continually and systematically set the bar ever higher in his quest to bring classic old master painting technique to his pop-culture-infused subject matter. This hefty volume collects over 30 years of Todd Schorr's paintings with stunning reproductions, including many close-up details of his large and intricate pieces. In addition to Schorr's previously celebrated paintings, Neverlasting Miracles contains 87 new pieces of artwork that have not been seen before. There are 33 new paintings, as well as drawings, color studies, and images of his large sculptural work. The book also presents several concept and sketchbook drawings and watercolors, plus extra early pieces included in a biographical timeline. Viewers will have hours of enchantment as they pore over Schorr's impeccably rendered canvases. His outrageous vision is the culmination of formative years surrounded by the atomic and space ages; by Saturday morning cartoon, cowboy, and puppet shows; racks of comic books; and an early fascination with paleoanthropology fueled by his parents' subscription to National Geographic magazine and frequent trips to New York's American Museum of Natural History. The compulsion to reinvent and distill these images into scenarios pulled from the deepest reaches of imagination led to a formal art education and a lifetime of painting. Todd Schorr's works have been shown in museum retrospectives and hang in the art collections of Leonardo DiCaprio, Patricia Arquette, and Mark Parker, CEO of Nike.

Genres: Art

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Todd Schorr is an American artist and member of the "Lowbrow", or pop surrealism, art movement. Combining a cartoon influenced visual vocabulary with a highly polished technical ability, based on the exacting painting methods of the Old Masters, Schorr weaves intricate narratives that are often biting yet humorous in their commentary on the human condition.

Reviews

[Jesse Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the past few years, I have collected a number of Last Gasp's brilliant volumes collecting work by various underground/surreal/lowbrow artists, and while they are all cherished objects of aesthetic magnificence, Neverlasting Miracles may very well be the best of them all. Clocking in over 300 pages, weighing almost 8 pounds, and spanning an impressive 11"x1"x12", this epic retrospective of Todd Schorr's wonderfully surreal and expressive artwork (which strikes me as very similar to the work of Robert Williams -- cartoonish and packed with kitschy imagery, yet also hyper-realistic and filled with eye-popping textures and coloring) is absolutely packed with quality reproductions of his stuff, featuring many zoomed-in panels so you can marvel at the intricate details contained in some of the larger and busier paintings. Granted, this tome is a bit unwieldy to read given its hefty dimensions, but I still managed to make it work and spent many rapt hours poring over page after page of visual resplendence. Also included are some interesting essays on each era of his creations and a biographical timeline of Schorr's life from birth to the publication of this book, which are very helpful to getting even deeper beneath the surface of the artist's output. I recommend the experience to anyone who enjoys this brand of mind-blowing, boundary-pushing artwork -- you will not regret it.