The Lives of Lowbrow Artists

Book excerpt: Most Americans have seen or enjoyed Lowbrow art without having even heard of it. Sometimes called the "Pop Surreal" art movement, the images and influence of Lowbrow art are widespread, appearing on album covers, in comics, and galleries across the US and around the world. But not much is known about the origin of the movement, or the stories behind the artist themselves. "Lives of the Lowbrow Artists" seeks to shed some light on the origin story of Lowbrow Art, starting with the artists who created the work. This first volume profiles some of the founding artists (Shag, Tim Biskup, Miles Thompson, Derek Yaniger, Brandi Milne) whose now iconic images gave rise to a movement that remains uniquely symbolic, subversive, and story-based to its core.