Mrs. R.F.

Anthony Ausgang was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1959 to a Dutch mother and Welsh father. The family moved to Houston Texas in the early 1960s, a particularly difficult time for an immigrant family to parse American culture. Nevertheless, Ausgang's father made brave attempts to assimilate by attending custom car shows and demolition derbies. Ausgang eventually encountered Ed Roth and before long had a shoebox full of Rat Finks, a small plastic figurine of a noxious rodent that had somehow become the embodiment of Hot Rod and Custom Car Culture. Ausgang's mother continued the European traditions by dragging her son to endless operas, symphonies and art museums. This combination of High Art and Low Art was to prove a fertile cultural mulch for Ausgang's artistic inclinations. After a short stint studying art at The University Of Texas in Austin, Ausgang succumbed to the myth of California and moved to Los Angeles where he began classes at The Otis Art Institute. Disappointed to find out that the curriculum there didn't include target practice, admiring cars or watching surf films, Ausgang dropped out to start showing his artwork to as many galleries as would tolerate his frequent visits. Finally accepted by the Big Daddy has left something that will live on forever. After forty years, Rat Fink fever has gotten in our heads, on our speedways, in our skateparks–there is no cure. We've gone on to become artists, filmmakers, mechanics, executives. He's become an action figure, a bobble head, a rececar, a doll, and has achieved timeless cult status along the way. At first it may have seemed that Rat Fink was originally drawn for us to laugh at, as a throw away carton. Now he's the one laughing–Rat Fink's Revenge indeed. This collection of 40 Rat Fink statues is taken from the book compiled by David Chodosh. The project originated as a way for the author and four score contemporary artists to exorcize their inner Fink–the sick monster inside who needs to come out and show itself to the world. All the contributors, for whom Rat Fink is part of their soul, were given the same 12" resin model kit to customize. La Luz de Jesus Gallery is a renowned contemporary art gallery in Los Angeles, California, known for its role in promoting lowbrow, pop surrealism, outsider, and underground art. Established in 1986 by Billy Shire, the gallery has been a launching pad for many influential artists in the alternative art scene.