Art Hound

Back in the day tattoos were associated with sailors, criminals, circus freaks and other low-lifes, but they’ve since become very much a part of mainstream culture. Along the way the line between “body art” and “fine art” has blurred, and we see many traditionally trained artists entering the tattoo business. To prove my point, here are some stellar examples of artful tattoos (via pinterest).

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Perhaps you’ve lamented the fact that your love of Picasso won’t help you in the pursuit of living with art, but with a bit of guidance you can start to develop your taste on current art based on your preferences of “famous” art.

In this series I match major artists of the 19th or 20th c. with current independent artists who share the artist’s style, subject, tone, etc. You’ll no longer have the excuse of not knowing any current, affordable artists you like!

Roy Lichtenstein was an iconic American artist of the 20th century who was part of the Pop Art movement with Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Jasper Johns and others. Lichtenstein is known for his large-scale paintings that resemble popular comics, down to the individually-painted dots depicting the then-popular half-tone printing technique. His work is filled with irony, both of the art world and ’50s and ’60s popular culture.

If you like Lichtenstein’s work on beauty and femininity…

… then you should check out Amanda Wachob’s work exploring ideals of beauty and self-image…

… and Jason Bryant‘s exquisitely-detailed paintings of old-school Hollywood starlets.

If you like his work on mid-century domesticity…

… then you might like the ironic and technically-adept work of Kelly Reemtsen.

If you like Lichtenstein for the stereotypes he mocks…

… then check out the fabulously tongue-in-cheek portraits of Martha Rich…

the heavily pop art-influenced, Scot Lefavor…

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…and Greg Gossel.

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And if you like Lichtenstein’s work exploring gender dynamics…

… you should check out the mythological work of collage-r, Lillianna Pereira…

…and print-maker and mixed-media artist, Scot Lefavor.

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Previous cheat-sheets: Georgia O’Keeffe, Gustav Klimt

Today’s artist is Amanda Wachob, whose large-scale oil paintings explore gender roles and racial tension using iconography from the 50s and 60s.

In the company of Wachob, I would be remiss in not referencing Anne Taintor, who’s built a big business of cheeky postcards and accessories of mid-century domestic scenes and biting captions (below).

Both Wachob and Taintor’s work explore the restricted role women led during the last century, but while Taintor’s illustrations find humor in these cultural relics from a bygone era, Wachob explores the issue in much more depth. Her work elicits anger and confusion from the viewer and does so while retaining a strong aesthetic appeal and pushing boundaries stylistically.  Her work is at times figurative, abstract and highly- graphic.

[Show as slideshow]

For those who prefer to wear their art, Wachob has an equally impressive career as a tattoo artist, with an uncanny ability to translate her art into this alternative medium.