CLICK FOR FULL VIEW — Take an Hour and Contemplate Your Ego – 2023 Stephen Gibb, 96″ x 48″, oil on panel.

The story behind Stephen Gibb’s Pop Surrealism Lowbrow painting: Take an Hour and Contemplate Your Ego.

Pop Surrealism Lowbrow Painting Explores the Ego

The Concept: The Gaze of the Long Now

Over the years, Stuart Brand, co-founder and editor of the Whole Earth Catalog has founded several organizations, of which the Long Now Foundation has significant relevance to my project. The Long Now Foundation aims to promote “slower/better” thinking as a counterpoint to what it views as today’s “faster/cheaper” mindset.

Adopting a similar “slower is better” attitude, I undertook a career-long ambition in 2023 to create an artwork that demands to be approached slowly and deliberately, in a quiet, contemplative frame of mind. With the idea of inviting the viewer to devote a considerably longer amount of time engaged with the painting than our at-a-glance culture is used to, I’m challenging one of the very cornerstones of our on-demand, drive-thru, overnight-delivery, instant-gratification society. Our need for speed may be flawed.

In my art practice, it is in these quiet, contemplative moments that the most fertile inspiration comes from. Getting there is the first step — far removed from the doom scroll of the mobile phone, the opinion-as-truth news media and the endless stream of social media noise. I was struck by an exhibit I had several years ago, how most people just breezed by, maybe politely pausing for a few seconds at each painting, yet others would stand for 15 minutes and immerse themselves into the artwork. Which begs the question: What was the connection they made that the others didn’t?

Were they able to view the art in a quiet state, already removed from the impulse and pull of their conditioning, governed by the perpetual quest of “what’s next”? When we live in a culture that constantly inundates us with information from the outside, how can we even take time to process it, let alone access our own information that is generated from the inside? My painting aims to create a situation where the viewer can reconnect with that inner self and refamiliarize themselves with the beauty of their own imagination.

The second motivation was to create a painting so compelling that it couldn’t be ignored. The irony is not lost on me — taking on such an ego-centric project, which is centred thematically on the ego seems a bit lofty and pretentious but is one supported by neuroscience. Brain scans of people confronting an overwhelming or confusing image light up like fireworks, their minds “jumpstarted” as they try to make sense of what they see. Entering this Gamma wave state of mind is where peak concentration and optimal information processing takes place. Human nature fundamentally compels us to extract meaning from things that confound us, especially when the message is not readily apparent or spoon-fed. The scale and complexity of the painting at the very least demands a more than cursory glance from even the most jaded of art connoisseurs.

Take an Hour and Contemplate Your Ego

Employing my standard approach to painting, which is often referred to as Pop Surrealism Lowbrow the title of the artwork is also the subtitle of the proposed exhibit — The Gaze of the Long Now: Take an Hour and Contemplate Your Ego.

Using the “ego” as the anchor for what the content of the painting examines, I employ an allegorical and symbolist approach of connecting images to convey the concepts chosen for the subject. Not always apparent, the images have a bifurcating effect, leading the viewers down their own pathways and rabbit holes of exploration and comprehension. Just like an “apple” means something different to every person — you may think of computers, the Beatles, William Tell, Snow White, grandma’s pies, etc. — so is the power of any image. Allowing yourself to follow those associations and linkages in your own self-discovery, is the real connecting force and magic of art.

The ego is represented in a raw psychological form as understood in my own naïve way, viewed through many facets of pop culture and aspects of the human experience. The broad concepts are encrypted in imagery that transforms the figurative into the literal.

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Pop Surrealism Lowbrow Painting Explores the Ego

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2023

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2024 paintings

Index of paintings by Stephen Gibb

2024 paintings

What is painting and why do I paint

To understand the object as a symbol the viewer must disengage from the object and penetrate beyond its visual representation to extract its significance from the volumes of connotation held within. To say a picture is worth a thousand words is to impose a limitation on its potential.

What my paintings offer is a chance for the viewer to construct their own narrative based on the connotations and associations they may derive from the imagery, regardless of my motivations for painting it.

Understand, there are no drugs involved and no psychedelic experimentation. Along with my natural neurological makeup, I have conditioned my mind to think in a way that allows bizarre connections and associations to combine with seemingly disparate objects — all coming together with meaning and signification.

Stephen Gibb lives and works in southern Ontario, Canada. He earned a B.F.A. in visual arts from the University of Windsor and is currently represented by the St. Germain gallery in Toronto. Among the cities he has exhibited in are San Diego, Sacramento, and Hollywood— the hotbed of California’s Lowbrow and Pop Surrealism community. His work is collected around the globe and has gained widening interest since working on the album art for hip hop artist Trippie Redd.

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Psychopathology of Wants and Needs – Pop surrealism painting by Canadian Artist Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2022

This painting started off a few light years away from where it ended up. The original concept was to do something around the theme of “bliss”, examining the things that bring us to this occasionally visited state of mind.

I envisioned a head absorbing the things around it, which would have been things that evoke the state of bliss in people. The head became a skull, full of holes because it just seemed like a cool idea. I think sometimes the things that people seek to attain their blissful state can also be deadly and I liked the “ultimate conclusion” commentary by including the skull, acknowledging it as the final destination of bliss and of life.

Everything I came up with just seemed lame after that. So, I thought I’d explore the foundations of why we seek bliss. It occurred to me that maybe there was something in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that could give some insight into the concept.

This is where I abandoned the whole bliss theme.

Instead, I focused on representations of “needs” in my typical left-field approach, bubblegum surrealism style. A trivialized representation of food (sustenance) became a pie, which I doubled back on, posing the pie in the act of replicating himself…rolling out some dough for a crust. Reproduction is on the lower level on Maslow’s hierarchy and is represented by the pie and the gooey union of the two lolly pops, who produce offspring at the point of their sticky embrace. The progeny then takes an ironic bite out of the parent in an act of defiance and rebellion — the normal function of a teenager (LOL). At the far right a figure looks at his fingers as they produce offspring, which appear to just be fodder for the crow standing nearby (the circle of life).

The figure on the far right also represents clothing, shelter, property, security, which are lower, basic requirements according to Maslow.

The sleeping potato symbolizes, sleep, air and water — also basic needs, in spite of the absurdity of the situation.

As we move upward the needs become more abstract and less material. The two lollies could represent love, intimacy, family and connection, whereas the green lolly’s floating-away crown touches on the area Maslow characterized as “esteem”, the realm of status, recognition and self-esteem, things I think our society puts too much stock in. As well we put absurd value on wants versus needs and a title was suggested to me — The Psychopathology of Need and Wants.

At the right side of the mountain is Sisyphus as an ape, pushing a large brain up the incline, symbolizing evolution, strength and the struggle to raise the “required needs” to the pinnacle of the hierarchy, which is represented by the pyramid man at the top, radiating out to embrace everything in his “blissful” state of self-actualization. - Artist Stephen Gibb, Nov., 2022

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Fool’s Paradise Lost – Pop surrealism painting by Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2022

The idea of “loss” and “the Fool” often percolate up in my work. The nature of loss is a pretty straight-forward concept — one that everyone can relate to. The Fool on the other hand is a concept that we impulsively project onto the “other” and avoid associating it with “the self”.

The actual truth is we all do foolish things, have foolish thoughts put value on meaningless things. In essence, we reject the fool, but recognise the Fool in ourselves — unless living in a delusional world of denial.

My portrayal of the Fool is a stereotype. A goofy innocent, oblivious of the dire nature of his situation, grasping in a futile attempt to preserve things he values — things that are empty and hollow. He wears the Dunce cap, just to formally label him in case there is any confusion in an attempt to make the figurative into the literal.

The Fool longs for love, acceptance, power, and wealth, but all these things are in eminent peril or were mere illusion to start with. His soul mate is a candy apple headed doll, which brings the “Paradise Lost” component of the title into the painting. In John Milton’s epic poem, the subject of Adam and Eve being tempted by Satan and their expulsion from “paradise” is prominently explored. In the painting, the doll-wife figure is the forbidden fruit incarnate. She has already been partaken of, so the sin has been committed and she is now just evidence of the Fool’s guilt.

In his other hand is a mock sceptre, a symbol of power but a powerless candy substitute. Inside is a crown which is bait for the Fool’s ego, an aspiration to fulfil his longing for prestige and power. Candy is a frivolous and pleasure centred treat. It echoes his pointless, pleasure driven desire for elevating his position. Junk food for his empty soul.

An equally empty and ephemeral balloon ironically expresses his disdain of the fool as he passes overhead. The balloon’s existence is always in peril and its imminent demise foreshadows the impending doom of the Fool.

The threats that impinge on the Fool come from above and below. Overhead a ball of fire from the heavens hurtles gleefully toward the Fool, while below a resourceful devil claws away at the foundation supporting the completely oblivious Fool. Oblivion being a key condition of a foolish and irresponsible outlook on life.

An apparition of a god-like entity looms in the clouds, overseeing the sins of the Fool. If God does not play with dice, at least he plays games with the Fool. The landscape is a crumbling board game with player markers making their way through their existence. Above, a laughing die delights in the scene below, his contribution of chance outcomes determines the fate of the players.

Below the die a daring paper doll attempts to eat fire in an absurd act of self-destruction. This could parallel any self-destructive and foolish behaviour that we as humans engage in for whatever reason, ultimately ending our chance at Paradise. The paper doll sits on a slowly draining snow globe, a souvenir of paradise in decay, reinforcing the theme of this Pop Surrealism painting. A crumbling column opposite also prepares to topple, its heyday long past.

To add to the sense that things are deeply wrong, a sheep plays tug-of-war with a spear of broccoli over a piece of meat. The incongruent behaviour of both characters (one a vegetable, the other a vegetarian) may be a way of me commenting on the topsy-turvy world we live in.

To the right side of the painting a thuggish frog wields a club threateningly at the Fool. It appears he has already smashed his way into the Fool’s safe as his fortune trickles away. A fool and his money…

A slice of mouldy bread, which is also jargon for money, angrily pushes a clock (time) towards the edge of the cliff. In essence the clock foretells that the Fool’s time is up and as the die (death) falls off the edge, the game is over…

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2022

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Index of paintings by Stephen Gibb 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009

2022 paintings
I imagine a world where the visually rich language of fairy tales and nursery rhymes extends into adulthood. The traditional nature of this kind storytelling is best presented with visual aids; simple, straightforward text accompanied by fantastic illustrations. In our culture, this is a conventional part of our collective upbringing and experience. These stories often convey lessons, which are coded in familiar, symbolic language, and are likely where we first encounter metaphor and allegory.

We carry these symbolic codes into adulthood—like wolf equals bad, pig equals good. The narratives I deliver in my paintings utilize this common trove of visual references; however with more mature and timely messages.

The intertwined relationship between language and image has always guided me in constructing my artwork—using visual puns, symbolic themes and literal translations from words into paintings. Often the compositions and assemblies of characters seem to clash in a surreal incongruence, but on some level, they relate by a verbal association or some idiomatic commonality. My aim is to exploit these visual conventions and present something visually arousing with dynamic color and compelling content.

The level of “payoff” sophistication that the viewer “gets” from the paintings is relative to their own personal experience and history. There may be universal themes revealed, and there may be idiosyncratic dead ends. There is no correct reading of the images other than what the viewer extracts on their own. Even my opinion and the depth of what they mean to me may change from day to day.

Stephen Gibb lives and works in the small town of Amherstburg, in southern Ontario, Canada and maintains a second studio in Windsor. He earned a B.F.A. in visual arts from the University of Windsor and is currently represented by the St. Germain gallery in Toronto. Among the cities he has exhibited in are San Diego, Sacramento, and Hollywood— the hotbed of California’s Lowbrow and Pop Surrealism community. His work is collected around the globe and has gained widening interest since working on the album art for hip hop artist Trippie Redd.

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Pop Surrealism has a broad range of influences, a reverence for art history, an unsettling presence and a wicked sense of humour. One thing that unites the pop surrealist community is their comfortable and insatiable relationship with weirdness. If describing in words what is and what isn’t pop surrealism, one only has to look at the work to get the distinction.

To me, pop surrealism and lowbrow are just labels that I fit easily into. It’s a category that helps you describe my work to someone else, and to locate it or discover it Online. Chances are you are reading this right now because of some connection the “movement”. At any rate, you are here, so take a minute to plunge deeper into my world…

Can You Pass The Marshmallow Test?
In this painting I explore themes that relate to psychology. If you have a working knowledge of some of experimental psychology’s fundamentals, you probably have a good idea what’s going on here. There are effigies of Freud and Skinner, as well as references to Rorschach, Pavlov and other classic research experiments. Plus a few little random things I wanted to add.

Head Trip to the Uncanny Valley of the Shadow
This painting began as an exploration of “the journey” or “the trip” and because of the connotations took on some drug references as well. Aside from the planes, trains and automobiles and the drug paraphernalia, there is the flaming skull, which I imagine is the hell of addiction. The so-called “loss of ego” is symbolized by the crown floating away, while the desperate lizard (lizard brain) tries to stay with it.

Give Me A Break
Taking idioms of the word “break” and incorporating them into visual symbols was the thought behind this painting. Break the bank, heart broken, break the spell, etc. Though this may have been the motivation and the roots of the composition, my mind took it in many different directions as well.

Happy! — Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2020

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“There Are Fake Diamonds In My Shit” , Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2019

Lowbrow pop surrealism

…just what exactly is this mishmash of cultural references and art keywords. Well, that pretty much says it all. To reach the audience who wants to delve into the realm of lowbrow pop surrealism, you have to be able to tickle the algorithms and register within the criteria of online search queries. Using the right keywords that lead to content that hopefully fits the intentions of the searcher, the web can direct you to familiar paths or blindside you with unexpected discovery.

That’s what I am tying to do with this post. No one ever labeled their artwork as “lowbrow pop surrealism” but the two blended genres have lived side by side for so long now they have almost become synonymous.
And how else will you discover my painting “There Are Fake Diamonds In My Shit” without a little Internet magic?

Now to break it down…

Definition of lowbrow : of, relating to, or suitable for a person with little taste or intellectual interest .
Well that’s a little blunt. From an artistic perspective here’s what Wikipedia has to say about “lowbrow art”: Lowbrow, or lowbrow art, describes an underground visual art movement that arose in the Los Angeles, California, area in the late 1970s. It is a populist art movement with its cultural roots in underground comix, punk music, tiki culture, and hot-rod cultures of the street.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowbrow_(art_movement)

Ok, to me, this even seems a little too specific and maybe even a little exclusive. For one thing it failed to mention the ubiquitous prevalence of “Margaret Keane-style” knock-off girls with big dewy eyes and blank expressions. And, yes, maybe I could square peg myself into the round hole of “underground comix” (my sketches do look a little like Robert Crumb drawings) but let’s just say there are many artist like me who have taken lowbrow sensibilities and run with them in their own directions.

And now we come to surrealism.
Definition of surrealism: a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature, which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images.

Wait, what? Irrational? Are you trying to say my paintings are irrational? Unconscious? I don’t even believe in the unconscious mind, except the autonomic nervous system that keeps me alive while I’m thinking of something else or sleeping. Damn, I just forgot to breathe for a second there…

Oh shit, I guess I didn’t read the entire Wikipedia definition of lowbrow….”It is also often known by the name pop surrealism. Lowbrow art often has a sense of humor – sometimes the humor is gleeful, sometimes impish, and sometimes it is a sarcastic comment.”

BINGO!

BTW humor is spelled H-U-M-O-U-R…

Which leads us the painting in question. “There Are Fake Diamonds In My Shit” is essentially a commentary on commerce, using idioms of money and extending my obsessive commentary on consumerism to a nauseating degree of blather.
Since we consume we must excrete and as consumers there is always waste (the black cloud of smoke, the shit). The predominate figure of the “fool and his money” has a giant $-shaped colon on his back. The colon is consuming “bread” (colloquial term for money) and is shitting on money (dirty money). Money is also “burning a hole in his pocket”. There is money laundering; money is the root of all evil, blood money, moneybag, money pit, money growing on a tree and money to burn. Rounding things out are the cabbage, anther term for money and Ben Franklin, the figure on a US $100 bill.

I need to mention lowbrow pop surrealism one more time to boost the keyword frequency.
And now you know how and why you ended up here.

“Circus of Delusion”—Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, 2020

Don’t Poop On My Party!—Stephen Gibb, 324″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2020

The Sacred and Profane—Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2020

If someone discovers my art based on a “crazy art” query, so be it. I can be the “crazy artist”.

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