Some artists create to inspire. Others hope to stimulate the imagination or intellect of those who behold their work. And then there are artists like Jason Arnold, who just want you to laugh at something completely random. Like really random, such as a modern candy brand’s mascot being cradled by someone from the 15th century. There’s no deeper meaning or theme to be teased out here.
Arnold, a 40-something-year-old Pleasure Point resident and skilled longboarder, finds such not-so-subtle irony as an antidote to a world that takes itself too seriously. Take one of the many stickers plastered on his silver surf van, for example. It reads, “I like music that sounds like shit.” The self-taught artist makes a living bossing around other artists as Art Director at NHS for OJ Wheels, Bronson Speed co., and Slime Ball Wheels. He’s the brainchild behind Surf Cult clothing, and in his free time enjoys creating pop-art that draws heavily on nostalgia and absurdity.
Here, we get the story behind his latest painting,“Portrait of Bia de’ Medici with Nerd”, in which he pairs two things that couldn’t be as dissimilar and random as NERDS Candy and Renaissance artwork.
