Here at JoBlo.com we love movie art. Like, a lot. You guys have expressed a lot of love for our Awesome Art From Around The Net column and I second your sentiments. Movie art is simply bad ass, especially in all its various creative forms. So, naturally we figured you guys would dig seeing some pieces from the latest release of Gallery 1988's book series Crazy4Cult. The latest volume, Crazy4Cult: Cult Movie Art 2 features a slew of absolutely awesome cult movie artwork from a variety of artists and in a variety of mediums. From GHOSTBUSTERS, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, ROBOCOP, SHAUN OF THE DEAD, TRUE ROMANCE, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, FIGHT CLUB, THE WARRIORS, BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, and many more, there's something for all tastes in this hardcover volume, which runs a hefty 175 pages and is currently selling for $22.10. Not bad at all.
In addition to the great art below, we also have an exclusive Q&A with Co-Founder/Co-Curator of Gallery 1988, Jensen Karp. He gives some more insight into the gallery, his inspiration for it, and the state of cult art today. Take a read!
What's the inspiration for featuring cult movie art at gallery 1988?
Before the art gallery, I was actually a film student at USC and obsessed with movies. I spent most of my high school and college years just renting every film I could get my hands on. And the flicks that spoke most to me were the ones that weren't mainstream hits. I vividly remember seeing King of Comedy for the first time, which isn't a "cult movie" that comes to mind immediately for anyone, but honestly, I don't remember the theatre I saw the Tim Burton Batman in. But I remember my mom taking me to see Defending You Life, and also the theater I saw Big Lebowski in. I liked the hidden gems. And so when we talked about opening this pop culture art gallery, a show based on cult films was one of our first ideas. We couldn't wait to see this art, because I knew I would've been first in line if it didn't involve us.
How does an artist get their cult movie art included in a showing at gallery 1988?
Well, we have art shows all year long, and we've been at it now 10 years, so our little crew is immense and amazing. So it's a lot of people you see all year long here, and have seen here even kick off their careers at G1988. It's been so rewarding to keep showing their work show after show. And now we add about 10% new artists per group, either through submissions (which you can learn about on our website), or just by scouring the Internet.
Why do you think cult movie art is so popular today?
I think we live in a time where media is king. Where people used to look up to Picasso, they look up to Bill Murray. It's just the Internet's fault. Fandom is at an all-time high and people look for ways to celebrate movies and TV. This is just a very original and artistic way to do so. We're just thrilled to have been the first pop culture gallery to show that it's possible to sustain a business with this idea.
Check out a preview from the book below!:
"I Escaped NY" by Adam Limbert
"Venkman" by Bruce White
"Suspects At Large" by Charles Moran
"Mashed" by Chris B. Murray
"It Was The Handjob" by Chris DeLorenzo
"Scott Pilgrim Vs. The Arcade" by Glen Brogan
"Fight Club" by Joshua Budich
"Hulk" by Scott Scheidly
"Come Out & Play" by Dave Perillo
"You Are So Cool, You Are So Cool, You Are So Cool" by Patrick Awa
"Your Move" by Rhys Cooper
"Free Mars" by Rhys Cooper
"Gimme your Best Shot, Pal" by Rich Pellegrino
The book goes on sale today (order here!) and features an introduction by Seth Rogen as well as Jensen Karp. Bottom line, if you're a fan of badass cult movie art then this is one for your bookshelf. As a major art enthusiast, I absolutely love this shit. Awesome, inspired work from some truly talented individuals.