Anthony Ausgang

Anthony Ausgang
Ausgang in 2017
Born
Anthony Charles Grant Thompson

(1959-05-22) May 22, 1959 (age 65)
Pointe-à-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago
Known forArt
MovementLowbrow
Websiteausgangart.com

Anthony Ausgang (born Anthony Charles Grant Thompson, May 22, 1959) is an artist and writer born in Pointe-à-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago[1] in 1959 who lives and works in Los Angeles.[2] Ausgang is a principal painter associated with the lowbrow art movement,[3][4][5] one of "the first major wave of lowbrow artists" to show in Los Angeles in the early 1980s.[6] The protagonists of his paintings are cats[7] -- "psychedelic, wide eyed, with a kind of evil look in their eyes".[8]

Biography

He was schooled at the Otis Art Institute[9] in Los Angeles. In 1990, Ausgang had his first solo show at the 01 Gallery in Hollywood.[10] Among the places he has exhibited are: La Luz de Jesus, The Laguna Art Museum's "Kustom Kulture" show, Kantor Gallery. Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Roq La Rue Gallery,[3] LA Municipal Gallery, and Copro Gallery.[11][12] In 2009, Ausgang's work was included in the exhibition Apocalypse Wow! at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome in Italy,[13] and in late 2012, Ausgang was the featured international artist at the Rewind show in Bologna celebrating the 50th anniversary of Fender guitar in Italy.[14]

Congratulations (2010) cover art by Anthony Ausgang

By 1993, Ausgang's artistic production consisted of customized cars,[15] original acrylic paintings,[2] and commercial merchandise,[16] including clothing,[17] puzzles,[18] toys,[19] lighters,[20] and posters.[21] Laguna Art Museum commissioned Ausgang to design a hole for a miniature golf course exhibit at South Coast Plaza in 1996.[22] As a "successful artist who appears in several magazines and exhibitions a year", Ausgang also boasts an impressive list of commercial clients including Tower Records, MTV, Sony Music and David Lee Roth.[23] In 2003, Ausgang designed the cover for Dude Descending a Staircase, the fourth studio album by the British band Apollo 440.[2]

In 2010, Ausgang did the cover art for MGMT's second studio album Congratulations,[24][25][26][27] "an eye grabbing illustration that could easily been found on a Grateful Dead release circa 1974"[28] which was nominated by NME for the Best Art Vinyl of 2010.[29] In 2011, Ausgang designed the Christmas windows for the La Rinascente Department Store in Milan with larger-than-life three-dimensional models of his trademark psychedelic cartoon cats.[30]

KeroseneBomb published Ausgang's first fiction book The Sleep of Puss Titter: A Lysenkoist Life in the Random-Word Generation in 2011.[31] "Vacation from Reality" is the anthology of his major artworks up to 2007.[2] His artwork is featured in several anthologies, including Weirdo Deluxe: The Wild World of Pop Surrealism & Lowbrow Art by Matt Dukes Jordan[6] and Pop Surrealism by Kirsten Anderson.[3] LA Weekly magazine commissioned a painting by Ausgang for their annual "Best Of ... " special issue in 2000.[32] In 2011, Anthony Ausgang received the lifetime achievement award at Beyond Eden's annual art fair at Barnsdall Art Park.[33][34]

Books

  • Vacation from Reality: The Art of Anthony Ausgang (9mm Books, 2007) ISBN 978-0-9766-3250-4
  • Weirdo Deluxe: The Wild World of Pop Surrealism & Lowbrow Art by Matt Dukes Jordan, Artist Anthology (Chronicle Books, 2005) ISBN 978-0-8118-4241-9
  • LA Artland: Contemporary Art from Los Angeles by Chris Kraus, Ariana Fox, Artist Anthology (Black Dog Publishing, 2005) ISBN 978-1-9047-7230-9
  • Pop Surrealism by Kirsten Anderson, Artist Anthology (Last Gasp, 2004) ISBN 978-0-8671-9618-4
  • Morning Wood by Roger Gastman, Artist Anthology (Gingko Press, 2003) ISBN 978-1-58423-159-2
  • Taboo: The Art of Tiki by Martin McIntosh, Artist Anthology (Outre Gallery Press, 1999) ISBN 978-0-6463-7731-5
  • Kustom Kulture by Ron Turner, Artist Anthology (Last Gasp, 1993) ISBN 978-0-8671-9405-0
  • Juxtapoz Car Culture by Kevin Thomson, Artist Anthology (Gingko Press, 2009) ISBN 978-1-5842-3347-3

References

  1. ^ "KCET interview". Archived from the original on 2012-09-16. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
  2. ^ a b c d Vacation from Reality: The Art of Anthony Ausgang (ISBN 978-0-9766-3250-4)
  3. ^ a b c Pop Surrealism by Kirsten Anderson (ISBN 978-0-8671-9618-4)
  4. ^ Hypebeast: Ausgang interview
  5. ^ "Juxtapoz magazine: Ausgang interview". Archived from the original on 2015-05-31. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
  6. ^ a b Weirdo Deluxe: The Wild World of Pop Surrealism & Lowbrow Art by Matt Dukes Jordan (ISBN 978-0-8118-4241-9) Archived January 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Florida Folio Weekly: Ausgang interview
  8. ^ 2012 Fender Guitar exhibition catalogue, page 60, for the show "Rewind: 50 Years of Fender in Italy"
  9. ^ Otis Parsons alumni news
  10. ^ Los Angeles Times: Ausgang 1990 art review
  11. ^ "Coagula Art Journal". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
  12. ^ Copro Gallery press release
  13. ^ Urban Painting Gallery
  14. ^ Museo Musica Bologna: Fender 50th Anniversary Show
  15. ^ Ausgang official website: Custom Cars
  16. ^ LA Artland: Contemporary Art from Los Angeles by Chris Kraus, Ariana Fox (ISBN 978-1-9047-7230-9)
  17. ^ Ausgang shorts on Amazon
  18. ^ Ausgang puzzle at ToTT Global
  19. ^ Ausgang on Vinyl Creep
  20. ^ Ausgang official website: zippo lighters
  21. ^ Ausgang official website: Commercial Art
  22. ^ Ausgang official website: special projects
  23. ^ Morning Wood by Roger Gastman (ISBN 978-1-58423-159-2) Archived December 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ Rolling Stone: Ausgang article
  25. ^ The Houston Chronicle: Ausgang interview
  26. ^ The Huffington Post article
  27. ^ Boing Boing: Ausgang interview
  28. ^ The New York Times: The Incredible, Inevitable Shrinking Album Cover by David Browne
  29. ^ Best Art Vinyl 2010 nominees
  30. ^ Italian Vogue: Ausgang at La Rinascente
  31. ^ The Fox Is Black book review
  32. ^ LA Weekly covers
  33. ^ Beyond Eden lifetime achievement award
  34. ^ LA Weekly article