Illegal Billboard Jersey City 1995
WHO IS RON ENGLISH ?
And has he really done all the the things people say he has? One thing for sure is Ron English is certainly one of the most controversial artists to emerge in the 1990's. English is nothing if not a big picture, high concept iconoclast. He plays for high stakes and has often been overheard saying
"I DAMN SURE DIDN"T MAKE THE RULES, I DAMN SURE WON'T LIVE BY THEM"
English considers himself a folk artist. To understand what he means by this one need look no further than his pirated billboards. Since the early '80's he has spent countless hours turning out his Illegal Billboards for the cost free enjoyment of a delighted public, he has even racked up one second degree felony for some officially unappreciated billboards in Texas.
Beyond his billboard activities, Ron is known as a BRILLIANT PAINTER.
He is the father of AGIT-POP, a hybrid of Pop Art that is fueled by a more personal, hands-on socially responsible attitude. His work is loaded with the iconography of his generation, exploring the range and power of a deeply American symbology using pop imagery as a metaphor.
Ron has also reinvented Modernism in his own image and attitude in a series called REVISIONIST MODERNISM. Ron has an incredible knack for making things his own, and in no place is this more evident than in this series. By " putting some English on it" , Ron not only reinterprets the original , he breathes new life and a new vitality into the work that holds it's own against the tide of postmodern critique.
Some other aspects of Ron's work include a series of collaborative CHILDREN'S ART pieces and his interpretation of the Biblical STATIONS OF THE CROSS
It is Ron's goal to have more songs written about him than any other person in history, to this goal one CD of music about Ron by various musicians has been released and another is due shortly. You can hear some samples HEAR RON'S MUSIC here.
You can communicate with Ron English via e-mail. Art and other items are available. TALK TO RON. There are a number of other sites on the Web where Ron is discussed and presented, including the Web pages of some of the bands who have contributed to his CD's, for more information, these
LINKS may be helpful. Upcoming gallery shows and other events of interest may be found at times on the EVENTS page.
Ron lives in New York City with his wife, Tarssa, and their daughter, Zephyr.
1997 by chip sommer.... email to tracker@radix.net
last revised 11/17/97