Mark Ryden #2

Mark Ryden came to preeminence in the 1990’s during a time when many artists, critics and collectors were quietly championing a return to the art of painting. With his masterful technique and disquieting content, Ryden quickly became one of the leaders of this movement on the West Coast. Upon first glance Ryden’s work seems to mirror the Surrealists’ fascination with the subconscious and collective memories. However, Ryden transcends the initial Surrealists’ strategies by consciously choosing subject matter loaded with cultural connotation. His dewy vixens, cuddly plush pets, alchemical symbols, religious emblems, primordial landscapes and slabs of meat challenge his audience not necessarily with their own oddity but with the introduction of their soothing cultural familiarity into unsettling circumstances. Viewers are initially drawn in by the comforting beauty of Ryden’s pop-culture references, then challenged by their circumstances, and finally transported to the artist’s final intent – a world where creatures speak from a place of childlike honesty about the state of mankind and our relationships with ourselves, each other and our past. Clearly infused with classical references, Ryden’s work is not only inspired by recent history, but also the works of past masters. He counts among his influences Bosch, Bruegel Mixed media tends to refer to a work of visual art that combines various traditionally distinct visual art media. For example, a work on canvas that combines paint, ink, and collage could properly be called a "mixed media" work. When creating a painted or photographed work using mixed media it is important to choose the layers carefully and allow enough drying time between the layers to ensure the final work will have integrity. If many different media are used it is equally important to choose a sturdy foundation upon which the different layers are imposed. Many interesting effects can be achieved by using mixed media. Often, found objects are used in conjunction with traditional artist media, such as paints and graphite, to express a meaning in the everyday life. In this manner, many different elements of art become more flexible than with traditional artist media. The Cotton Candy Machine is a fine art archival print publisher and online gallery for select contemporary artists, founded by Tara McPherson and Sean Leonard in 2011. It serves as the official online print store for Tara McPherson, as well as doing special events and pop ups across the globe. All of our archival pigment prints are produced right here in our studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We print on the highest quality etching and watercolor papers made in France, Germany and the USA. Our serigraphs and UV prints are produced in collaboration with a variety of talented screen printers and print houses around the US as well. We began as a storefront gallery and art boutique from 2011 to 2016 in a former fire station in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. The Cotton Candy Machine held a variety of art exhibitions, workshops, and events by a plethora of contemporary artists, curated by Tara McPherson. It then transitioned into a thriving online store and print publisher in 2017, serving as Tara McPherson's official print shop, publishing archival fine art editions, selling limited edition art prints, posters, apparel, books, toys and more. All the while holding onto its roots