Today I was stuck on what or who to feature on the blog. Nothing was jumping out at me. Desperate, I asked my husband. His first ( joke ) repsonse was “Thomas Kinkade”. Hardee har har. His next suggestion was “Guy Art”. I was like art featuring guys? Art by guys? No, art guys like. Oh! I asked if the blog was becoming too girly.. he said no, but I have my doubts. There’s been a plethora of pink around here lately. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But my taste in art isn’t always so feminine. I like a bit of edge and irony, too. So in honor of my hubby, whose own appreciation for art is growing every day, here are some examples of art that any guy would be happy to hang in his swingin’ bachelor pad.
Alwin Jackson is a painter. He doesn’t put up a front of pretentious, artsy bullsh**. Maybe that comes from having been in the corporate advertising world for twenty years. His images are clean and bold and I think most guys would appreciate their no-nonsense attitude. This girl certainly does.
Tony Rodrigues’ work takes an introspective look back at icons from childhood and pop culture. What grown man doesn’t have memories of playing “cowboys and indians” when he was young? His sentimental take on figures and themes take us back to the “good ol’ days”, but leave us wondering, how good were they, really?
It is a truth universally acknowledged that most guys wish they were musicians. ( My hubby will attest to this fact, though I think he’s a better guitar player than he gives himself credit for ). How many rockstars started out by picking up an instrument as a way to meet girls? I bet Robert Leedy’s Beats in Paint make you want to wail on a drumset like you’re Keith Moon.
Boys love to build stuff. It’s why Erector Sets and Legos have been around for so long. Many men have contributed to the architecture of great cities like New York and Chicago. Doug Eng captures a glimpse of humanity among the concrete and steel, reminding us that these buildings are built for, built by and filled with, people.
Teddy Roosevelt was a man’s man president. A boxer, a soldier, a hunter and outdoorsman, embodying his ideology to “Speak softly and carry a big stick”. Artist Steve Williams pays his due to this former president in his Currency series.
For those guys who want to show off their bagged game, but not actually, you know, kill a beautiful wild creature just for the bragging rights, Brian McGuffey’s Stoic is just the thing. I don’t know, this deer looks seriously ticked off for having been decapitated. I wouldn’t cross him if I were you. Just nod gently and let him be.
Remember that thing about guys wanting to be rockstars? Is there a rockstar cooler than the gravelly-voiced Tom Waits? Seriously. John Duckworth renders his steely glaze perfectly. And yes, there’s some pink in there. Duckworth and Waits aren’t afraid to rock the pink.
Jonathan Blind
July 24, 2011 at 4:18 AMPrecisely what I was searching for, thanks for posting . “Pardon one offense, and you encourage the commission of many.” by Publilius Syrus.