Mark Ryden
About
Mark Ryden, born January 20, 1963, in Medford, Oregon, and raised in Southern California, is an American painter and illustrator widely recognized as the godfather of Pop Surrealism. He earned a BFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena in 1987 and initially worked as a commercial illustrator, designing album covers for artists including Michael Jackson's 'Dangerous,' Red Hot Chili Peppers' 'One Hot Minute,' and Aerosmith's 'Love in an Elevator.' His transition to fine art began with the groundbreaking 1998 solo exhibition 'The Meat Show' at Mendenhall Gallery in Pasadena, which featured surreal juxtapositions of raw meat, childlike figures, and religious elements, establishing his signature style blending old master techniques with pop culture icons, kitsch, mysticism, and unsettling narratives.
Pop Surrealism, blending old master techniques with pop culture, kitsch, mysticism, and surreal elements like meat, wide-eyed children, and religious icons
Selected Exhibitions
- The Meat Show at Mendenhall Gallery (1998)
- Wondertoonel at Frye Museum of Art and Pasadena Museum of California Art
- Cámara de las Maravillas at Centro de Arte Contemporáneo of Málaga
- The Tree Show at Michael Kohn Gallery (2007)
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles