Regular Beat readers know that we’re big fans of Jonathan Levine’s art gallery here in NYC, which specializes in “lowbrow” or “pop surrealism” art, much of it influenced by pop culture and comics. ARTINFO has a nice interview with Levine:
Do you encounter resistance to accepting Lowbrow Art as an authentic genre within fine art?
There’s definitely a resistance to [this type of art] even though it’s not really underground anymore. I think it’s running parallel to the mainstream art world. The artists that we work with are quite well known, but I think they are more connected with pop culture and lifestyle magazines. We still haven’t been picked up by the mainstream art press yet. [But] I’m not going to sit around and wait for the mainstream art world to give us the okay.
What types of collectors buy underground art?
It’s a younger crowd, probably averaging from their mid-30s to early 40s. Many of our customers are people who work in the entertainment industry and the music business. We have some very high profile collectors like Jonathan Davis, the singer from Korn, and James Hetfield from Metallica. We sell to a lot of people on the West Coast, people working in the design industry and the fashion industry. [Nicolas Cage and Leonardo DiCaprio are both known to be active collectors of Lowbrow Art.]
[Illo by Jeff Soto. ]
Dear leo, i think you’re the best thing that ever to t.v. . You are my favorite male actor. I hope to meet you one day ,that would be awesome. “Buenos Suerte” on your next movie. Buenos suerte means good luck in spanish. Luv your #1 fan , Shelby