If you were to ask me who my favorite living artist is, it would have to be Josh Agle, known simply as SHAG (last two letters of his first name, first two letters of his last name- the man is clever).
When we purchased our Tiki Tête-à-Tête Cocktail Party tickets, we knew Mr. Agle had a pad at the Royal Hawaiian so my hopes were heightened thinking I might have the chance to meet my artistic idol. Woohoo. There he was, holding court on his lanai.I came prepared with a gift of thanks for "all the whimsy". When I handed it to Josh, he asked if he could unwrap it now. When he was opening it, I said that he probably already had one. He said that he didn't have one in this color and that it was "a keeper".And what was my gift? This TIKI drink mug is a souvenir from South Lake Tahoe's Harvey's Casino (Top of the World Restaurant). I blogged about this treasure here. I couldn't think of a better gift for SHAG, TIKI Culture's #1 fan.So who is Shag? According to his website, he is a painter, designer and illustrator working in Southern California. His distinctive artistic style draws from commercial illustration from the past five decades, but the work is imbued with an attitude and sly sense of humor which is unmistakably of our time. Solo exhibitions of Shag's work have been held in the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia and South America.
The paintings themselves celebrate consumerism and consumption on vividly colored sharply rendered panels; the characters drink, smoke and eat in lavish, stylish surroundings. But Shag sees the visuals of his work as window-dressing or stage scenery. He's more concerned with the themes and narratives in the paintings, and the meanings a viewer might find when he looks at a piece of Shag art.
Shag lives with his wife and children in a mid-century home overlooking a peaceful wooded valley, much like homes he paints in his art. He considers Palm Springs his second home and is an enthusiastic booster for the city.He also does work for Disney. His subjects appeal to me on so many levels.Does this scream Whimsy [ˈ(h)wimzē] NOUN: playfully quaint or fanciful behavior or humor?And why was SHAG on his porch? Because unbeknownst to me, Josh's home was open to tour! OMG! I'm holding his book in his living room!!!I loved all the homages to Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room (I will be there soon to look at it even more closely).The attention to detail was exceptional.As you know, I get giddy frequently. This giddiness was on a whole new level!Okay, this painting Eight Shades of Drunk made me laugh. It evoked memories, too.In 1995, Steve and I flew to the Bay Area for a business associate's holiday party. We actually brought these lampshades with us. They were the hit of the party and definitely added whimsy to that night.This fifth blog post concludes my Day #1 at Modernism Week (Friday, February 18th). There was just too much fun. I am so not complaining. I'm loving it all.
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