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Mark Ryden: Bunnies and Bees
This catalogue was published to coincide with the Mark Ryden Bunnies and Bees art exhibit held at the Earl McGrath Gallery in New York City from November 8th through December 14th, 2001, as well as the Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, California from January 5th through February 24, 2002. It contains an essay by Mark Ryden entitled Tracing the Connections Between Bunnies, Bees, and Abe Lincoln and color plate examples of the art series': The Last Rabbit, The Magic Circus, YHWH, Little Boy Blue, The Ringmaster, Puella Animo Aureo, Jessica's Hope, and, Sophia's Mercurial Water.
- GenresArt
Paperback
Published January 1, 2002
78 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 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 7, 2008
Not really a reading book, but Ryden is the greatest!
February 5, 2008
Surreal nursery school nightmares. My favorite artist.
July 7, 2012
This is fun....large lithographs of the art of mark ryden. Beautiful packaging and lots of great color repro art. Not really too crazy for the sketch ones but this is wonderful and framable too!
August 15, 2013
This is a lithograph set. Beautiful and fun. Classic Mark Ryden.
May 26, 2007
Too many repeats from Anima Mundi
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews