Shag Baby!!!

Ok stay with me here…not that kind of shag.

You have to love Shag art. It’s simplicity, adult messages, human behavior interpretations, pure fun with the sexy, cool, wacky, representations that hits the canvas. Bright colors that shine with hip in your face emotion capture a moment that we either can relate to or wish we could relate to…their just shagadelic.

Bottoms Up
The art of Josh Agle express’ the art of consumption…the art of the seemingly sophisticated consumers exploiting life’s vices to the extreme with flare and sensual exuberance.

Yuppies gone wild in a beatnik kind of way. Retro. Hip. Polynesian. Hula. Vespa. Drinks. Party. Tiki. and always Mod…always with a flare of the 60’s…this is Shag. He makes Elvis and the Rat Pack hipper then they already are! Impossible you scream…but true.

Jo sh-ag le
For those of you that may not already know why Josh Agle is called Shag…his name comes from a play of his very own…Jo “shag” le

It’s his love of simplicity and color that grab you…his wit and joy of sharing humor…and his limitless approaches to tearing down cultures walls and letting us all peak into another life. Essentially giving us a material lifestyle that some want and some envy and at the same time poking fun at the wackiness of it all.

Ripe Vice
Sex, alcohol and mass consumption are common themes. Some pushing the movie ratings above PG13…but all in good taste. Adult friendly…adult themed…as one of his titled books so eloquently explains ‘Shag A to Z: A Children’s Book Unsuitable for Children’. Enough said.

Those Wacky Shriners
But let’s make sure we give kudos to our friend…he certainly knows how to support charity and children alike. Shag has teamed up with Shrine El Bekal a Southern California Shrine Temple to create a set of prints depicting a Shriner Parade to benefit the Shriner Hospitals for Children.

Throw in benefit prints like the Ennis House foundation and you can see how this artist gives back.

I found some great photos of Shag’s studio on www.guillontine.com that are worth a look.

Warhol Would Be Proud
If you think about the rise of Shag you certainly must be impressed. In a mere 12 years since his first gallery. Think about that…not bad. Perhaps he has just struck a chord with designers and art lovers alike. I think he is Warhol like…where he has jumped into the pop culutre of art. Like Andy’s recognition of icons…Shag has become a brand of his own. Not the easiest thing to do in this world.

Play Hard
With success comes a strong work ethic…Shag paints seven days a week. In an interview on modculture.com he said “I have a little notepad where I write ideas down. I seldom sketch ideas until I sit down to do a painting. Though family, friends, acquaintances and fans often suggest ideas to me, these ideas tend to be a little askew from my own perspective & I seldom end up painting things that others have suggested.”

So ride the tide Josh…get out your tiki paraphernalia and celebrate. You deserve it and we deserve your splendor. Keep up the incredible work…it brings great joy to many.

Here are a just a few of my favorites…let me know yours.

What’s New From Shag
Shag gone wild is the only way I can describe his latest gallery…Take a peak at the upcoming November Culver City show.