Ron English 'Rabbit and Raccoon' Print Available

Artist: Ron English
Title: Rabbit and Raccoon
Medium: Giclee Print
Size: 12 x 16 Inches
Edition: 30
Price: $150

 

Ron English is an American contemporary artist born in 1959 in Dallas, Texas, celebrated for his vibrant, subversive works that critique consumer culture, advertising and political power. Trained at the University of North Texas, he pioneered “POPaganda,” a term he coined to describe his fusion of high and low imagery, blending iconic characters with grotesque or satirical twists. His photorealistic technique, honed through years of billboard takeovers, allows him to seamlessly merge familiar icons with unsettling alterations, creating images that are both humorous and disturbing.

English’s most famous creations include “MC Supersized,” an obese Ronald McDonald that critiques fast-food culture, and “Abraham Obama,” a portrait blending Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama, symbolising the intersection of history and contemporary politics. His “Cereal Killers” series reimagines breakfast mascots as decaying or zombie like figures, targeting the sugarcoated marketing aimed at children. Working across painting, sculpture and street art, he often employs bright, candy colours to lure viewers into darker narratives about addiction, conformity and corporate greed.

A key figure in the street-art movement, English has illegally altered billboards across America, replacing advertisements with his own twisted versions, a practice he calls “culture jamming.” These interventions challenge the passive consumption of media and encourage viewers to question the images that surround them. His work has been exhibited internationally, from New York’s Whitney Museum to galleries in London and Tokyo, and he continues to produce new works that critique contemporary society.

Whether painting a canvas, sculpting a toy or hijacking a billboard, English aims to disrupt the norm, using art as a tool for social commentary and cultural critique. His enduring message is clear: question everything, consume critically and never accept the surface at face value.