Test Pattern Print

Anthony Ausgang was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1959 to a Dutch mother and Welsh father. The family moved to Houston Texas in the early 1960s. After a short stint studying art at The University Of Texas in Austin, Ausgang succumbed to the myth of California and moved to Los Angeles where he began classes at The Otis Art Institute. Finally accepted by the infamous Zero One Gallery, Ausgang's solo sold out as collectors and critics began to take notice. As the official artworld began to accept Ausgangs work so did the commercial artworld and he began making record covers and posters and working as a consultant on computer generated animation. Ausgang draws influence from as many outside channels as possible, preferring the toy contents of grocery store gumball machines over the latest exhibit at the Whitney. Opinionated but informed, he is able to see the beauty in both a Rembrandt and a hot rod. This variety of interest has led him to design his artwork on the computer but complete it on the easel, the perfect combination of new technology and traditional media.

Ausgangs paintings have been critically referred to as Pop Surrealism or Low Brow. This art has been derided as merely illustrations dreamed up for a stoned art director but such detractions serve to strengthen the outsider camaraderie of the artists involved. One of Ausgangs unique traits is that he combines this street attitude with his knowledge of art history and contemporary art trends. In the 90s the art world made Deconstruction one of its pet projects. I was fascinated by the concept of taking apart an art form and examining its components but I was baffled that no one seemed interested in putting the parts back together. says Ausgang. Applying this reductive scrutiny to his trademark self designed cartoon characters, Ausgang found that the post-deconstruction reconstruction was neither abstract nor realist; the creatures were a construct of cartoon character elements. A mouth with a tail could successfully represent a cat; any more visual information was unnecessary.