Waxy.org is the sandbox of Wayne White, a Chattanooga-born artist living and working in Los Angeles, buys mass-produced thrift-store/garage-sale lithographs and paints amazing 3D word-art onto them. His use of typography is stunning, reminiscent of Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Library covers.
The Clementine Gallery in New York has two high-quality photo galleries of his work, from 2002 and 2004. My personal favorites: I Love the Whole Fucking World, Take Your Forms Wrestled form the Void and Get the Hell Out, Painting that Came to Life Only to be Mocked-Forgotten, and Luv Hurtz.
In his professional life, he's an acclaimed commercial artist, famously known as the art director for Peter Gabriel's "Big Time," the Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight Tonight," and the Snapple bottle puppet commercials. He was also the voice of Mr. Kite and Randy on Pee Wee's Playhouse, where he was a set designer and puppet maker. ArtForum reviewed his artwork in late 2002. More information, including more images and a bio, is available at the Western Project.
8:52 AM
I love how he meticulously paints in shadows and reflections into his pieces. If anyone can find more images of his work, please let me know.
9:20 AM
Those are fantastic! I love the mix of type (curved, fat, and skinny) in this one.
10:17 AM
if you live in l.a., a couple of his pieces are up in a diner called fred 62 on vermont.
1:16 PM
This guy does album covers for the band Lambchop. Well, actually, it seems they have been using some of his paintings for album covers, and adopting the name of the painting for the album. The cover for Nixon is clearly one of his.
10:14 AM
Wow, that's awesome. Goes to show that you gotta get out of Chattanooga to make a name for yourself.
Mark Bennett is another of my fellow Chattanoogans who is just a unique artist. He's known for creating blueprints of "mythical" places like the Clampet's mansion and Mary Tyler Moore's TV apartment. Very unique and a former classmate of my boss.
Wired did a feature on him a few years back.
http://hotwired.wired.com/gallery/96/50/profile.html
10:19 AM
encountering people like that make me realize i'm not half as creative or tallented or original as i like to think that i am.
sigh.
dig those snapple commercials though.
1:23 PM
I had the hugest crush on Wayne when I worked at Griffin Art Supply in Nashville. I wanted to jump on him and attack his skin and beyond. I was too shy and tortured even to go to his CroMagnun party when he was working at Cumberland Science Museum. He looked like Tommy Retig to me then. Oh man. Anita
1:44 AM
What is that painting that you used for the cover of Nixon? My grandfather had that in his bedroom- when I'd come to stay, I'd stare at it endlessly until I'd fall asleep.