Wayne White

More about the book

Design guru and art collector Todd Oldham shines the spotlight on the clever and warped world of artist Wayne White. From Wayne's early days as a production designer and puppet maker for the iconic TV show "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" to his unmistakable and exquisitely rendered text paintings, this monograph is a comprehensive view of Wayne White's oeuvre. Wayne is a unique wordsmith, brilliantly juxtaposing irreverent and humorous phrases over existing thrift store paintings that together create a completely original and fictional landscape. Influenced by both his upbringing in rural Tennessee and a very sophisticated knowledge of art history. Wayne White's sensibility is completely singular and distinctive. Wayne White's warped and perspectival words integrate into seemingly benign pastoral landscapes, creating a completely surreal experience. Wayne's expert painting chops and detailed attention to lighting and reflection place the "new" text directly in its "original" setting. Text paintings such as "Donald Judd was a Son of a Bitch Wrecked His Train in a Whorehouse Ditch," "Poon," and "Maybe Now I'll Get The Respect I So Richly Deserve" are a welcome departure from the more-often-than-not self-aggrandizing art world.