The Gay '90s: A Portfolio: 24 Plates [General merchandise]

From the godfather of Pop Surrealism, 24 mini-prints ready to frame.  

Previously published by Taschen and Rizzoli, Mark Ryden is currently one of today’s most celebrated names in the contemporary art scene. Crowned the “godfather of pop surrealism”, he is adored and followed by millions of fans. During
his last event, over 2 000 people showed up on the first day in the hopes of getting their hands on a signed edition. “The Gay 90’s” is Mark Ryden’s greatest work.
Showcased in two large galleries in New York and Los Angeles, the exhibit became the subject of a book published by  Rizzoli in the United States. Over 24 collector’s postcards of his most famous paintings are contained in the set.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. 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 Collegel³.