ToyCyte: Toy Culture Collected

Marilyn Mouse Mask

Ron English topped off a month full of toys with his Mythographic Vicissitudes solo show at San Francisco’s FIFTY24SF gallery. Although Ron was on tour in Asia for most of the show’s duration, his presence was felt through his signature pop surrealist style. A literal translation of Mythographic Vicissitudes works out to: the successive, alternating, or changing phases or conditions of a popular belief, story (or half-truth) that has become associated with a person, institution, or occurrence, especially one considered to illustrate a cultural ideal.

That checks out as the show focused on 2007-2008 paintings and drawings based on variations of modern mythologies. Applying a unique sense of reverence to his patented mash of religion, history and art, Ron presented Mickey, Marilyn, Jesus, Snoopy, Warhol and Van Gogh amidst a palette where all was not what as it seems…

The show concluded last week, and you can check availability of the work (oils for $20K, inks for $3K) via the gallery. If you didn’t make it to the show, here is what you missed.