#john tebeau

the year i was born!  

A little artwork I stumbled upon that I thought Game readers might enjoy.

This is by artist John Tebeau. Pretty cool, huh?

November 7 – December 6, 2013

With You Want It - You Got It, John Tebeau highlights the particular universal truths that make certain pop culture icons immortal. Executed in a style that honors their popular origin, he constructs these paintings to function as transformative assistants, where the viewer may welcome the “magic” represented in each icon into their own life. 

The acrylic on canvas paintings include:

• Courage – a close-up view of the medal the Cowardly Lion receives at the end of socialist classic “The Wizard of Oz.”

• Work To Reveal – a coaching directive delivered in a dream.

• Power – a bolt of lightening with a nod to Captain Marvel.

• Fertility in Chaos –inspired by the Anais Nin quote, “In chaos, there is fertility.”

• Freak Flag! – inspired by the 1950s Jasper Johns flag painting mashed-up with a Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers collage. An encouragement to celebrate the weird.

• Hustle – Pete Rose – Reds’ all time hits leader, nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” and banned “for life” from the MLB Hall of Fame – as the 1970’s era Cincinnati Reds baseball mascot.

• Spell Painting –  a commissioned visioning tool comprised of aspirational images tailored to the recipient’s life goals.

Tebeau is a fan of bold lines, strong design and vibrant colors. He taught himself how to draw in elementary school, and started painting later, melding cartoon sensibilities with an appreciation for art that shows wit and dash. He was strongly influenced by the Harvey Kurtzman era of Mad and cartoonists like Don Martin, Robert Crumb and Al Hirschfeld.

He grew up in a small town, North Muskegon, Mich., graduated from University of Michigan before living in Chicago and San Francisco, and now New York. He also lives part time in New Orleans.        

Curated by Mark Roth