01 Dec Donald Topp
December 4 – 31, 2020
Opening Reception: Friday, December 4th, 6-9PM
Donald Topp is a silkscreen artist from Madison, Wisconsin. His work playfully skewers commercial Pop Culture while honoring icons whose work pushed beyond boundaries to convey something meaningful. Frequently these two distinct bodies of work are shown simultaneously, allowing sarcasm and celebration to coexist comfortably and somewhat subversively.
“I play off the nostalgia of a recognizable image, but make it into an avatar of a much deeper message.”
Topp uses mixed media with screen printing in overlapping layers on paper and board. Images are hand pulled with mixed media application in each print, with predetermined sizes and ink selections for different bodies of work. Like Andy Warhol before him, his appropriation of iconoclasm is no mere commodification; characters and celebrities are quite specifically tethered to the messages within the work. Utilizing newspaper and adult magazine backgrounds alongside custom tattoo designs, there is an element of subliminal messaging within Topp’s paintings of Saturday Morning and Cinema characters that comments upon current events in a timeless manner. In the last few years, Topp’s tattooed Disney Princesses and Sesame Street characters have gone viral to the point that his pieces have been pinned over a million times on Pinterest, and last November his work was shown alongside Warhol’s in an exhibition at Wisconsin’s River Arts Center.
This is Donald Topp’s First exhibition at Gallery 30 South, but he’s exhibited worldwide for years and his work frequently sells out on the Art Fair circuit. A complete set of images and info is forthcoming. Call or email the gallery to be placed on the preview list or to discuss payment and delivery options.
(323)547-3227 info@gallery30south.com
NOTE: Topp produces his work in limited editions to maintain an egalitarian affordability, but each piece is, in fact, unique–so the images shown may vary slightly from that sold.