Artist Entry #14 Lari Pittman

Artist Entry #14 Lari Pittman

Larry Pittman is a painter who loves to juxtapose two completely different ideas, he says he draws his inspiration from folk art and advertising. He got his B.F.A. and his M.F.A. from the California Institute of the Arts.If you look at his work close enough you can see the contradicting ideas. His works seems pretty monochromatic. Lari's work is filled with various meanings, it seems likes it's layered on top of each other.

Looking at his "Existential and Needy"(piece with the owl) I can see the folk art influence, the whole piece is pretty simplistic and monochromatic; I can also see the advertising juxtaposition. The #69 is obviously a reference to a sexual act and the owl is wearing jewelry and underwear like he is a person modeling them like it is showing this standard we need to live up to and is another sex reference. Also the also the arrows pointing down are leading the viewer to look down at the owl crotch, suggesting sex like advertisers do.

I think his work is very interesting because I like how he contrast opposing ideas together and the subject matter gets dark and I'm like a moth to the flame when it come to art like this.