The Art of Alex Gross

Book excerpt: This remarkable first monograph of acclaimed Pop Surrealist artist Alex Gross features striking, dreamlike imagery that transcends category. Gross paints a haunting mlange of fairytale, allegory, history, and pop culture, fusing eastern and western aesthetics in an ethereal world populated by kimono-clad Japanese women and lost Victorian dandies. In more than eighty exquisite color images, comprising all of Gross's gallery work, silk screens, etchings, and sketches, this volume illuminates his singular blend of realism and whimsy. Embraced and collected by art connoisseurs and lowbrow fans alike, Gross's work is both enigmatic and irresistible.