L_R_Emerson_II_ Upside_Down_Art_Leon Russell_Ambigram_Masg_Artist_Moma_Lacma_National_Gallery_Lourve_Tate_Gagosian_Georg_Baselitz (29)

L. R. Emerson II is best known as the leading artist of the Upside-Down Art Movement or Masg Art movement.

Emerson never intended to become a household name in artmaking and the evidence of his effort to avoid selling out is firstly, his diligent efforts to make art that was intentionally against the common trends and secondly to keep his style secret from the world at large for two decades.

Recently, however after Emerson decidedly released some of his work after keeping it suppressed since the 1980’s renowned artist Georg Baselitz called L. R. Emerson's art"...inspiring." Baselitz’ own art has sold for in excess of $4.2 million dollars at recent auction.

In tribute, paying homage to neo-expressionist painter Georg Baselitz, Emerson recently exhibited at Saatchi an work Upside-Down Artwork or also known as Masg art called "Ode to Baselitz". Featured at Saatchionine.com Emerson has presented a work which has garnered the attention of Charles Saatchi himself who personally flagged L. R. Emerson ‘s work as “Liked”. "Ode to Baselitz" is part of L. R. Emerson II's "Heavy Ink" series.

The medium of “Ode to Baselitz” is called Digigraph or Digiography (both phrases termed and documented in 2009 in The Purple Tree; Art in a Boundless Age) is a combination of both traditional and tech media. The Digigraph featured at Saatchi is part of L. R. Emerson’s 50+ documented, pioneering inventions for making art - each calling for combinations of traditional and digital technology mediums.

“Ode to Baselitz” is a culmination of pen and ink, and computer aided design. Emerson’s goal with “Ode to Baselitz” is not only to bring attention to the already known upside-down work of Baselitz but moreover for the fact that like Emerson, Baselitz has ridden the critical seas of the public’s reaction to upside down work.

Baselitz, according to Emerson has paved a way for artists, even ones who are not working neo-expressively to express themselves through multi-directional composition – though Baselitz does not intend his upside-down works be hung in two or more directions as Emerson intentionally does.

As Emerson puts it “Baselitz broke the water and I am simply delivering the baby” speaking metaphorically to the aspect of L. A. times featured article from 1984 showing Baselitz’ then Upside-Down painting. By comparison, Emerson’s 1984 series was removed from exhibition during the same time period (’85) as Emerson feared critical rejection and stylistic copying. Thus L. R. Emerson II’s art was selectively hidden from the world for the next two decades.

In 2005 Emerson II exhibited nearly 800 works sharing several signed prints with major museums and galleries in 11 countries, yet he determined it necessary to continue to hold other selections from the public eye. What is seen today in exhibition by Emerson are mere artistic fragments of what he actually creates. With his current work never shown and by only releasing work that is about two years old, Emerson keeps ahead of those who would choose to mimic his style.

With over 100 awards to date and currently working in his third decade, Emerson has proven himself worthy of critical appraisal. Nicholas Forrest, contributing writer to Art & Antiques Magazine wrote about L. R. Emerson II stating "An amazing artist, Amazing art!" 2006. L. R. has been actively researching, developing, and inventing methods of making art and specifically Upside-Down art known as Masg Art, from Gaelic meaning to mix; or infuse for 30 years.

To date, L. R. Emerson II has delivered on his 1983 promises to make “Upside-Down Art” a household name in the very near future. In the aftermath we find now major artists effecting and or following the Upside-Down Art movement which is crossing international lines with artists such as Germany's Georg Baselitz and British Sculptor Anish Kapoor, giving significantly strong visual support.

Emerson's own efforts in leading the Upside-Down Art Movement has thus far have encompassed the following:

•Created Upside-Down Art for nearly thirty years having begun in 1983 and has made more upside-down, multi-directional, ambigram, Masg styled art than any person in history.

•Exhibited at age 18, and worked as a commissioned artist beginning at age of 19 with work appearing in newspaper and magazines by age 19 and for major celebrities by age 23

•First artist ever to offer their art for free; up to $1 million dollars of L. R. Emerson II’s artwork was literally offered for free to anyone in the world. The offer was advertised to the general public in numerous places and stood from 2005 until 2009

•Created in excess of 100,000 works within over 1,000 series

•Engaged 30 years of innovative, experimentation and invention driven research on Upside-Down Art or Multidirectional Art Composition, process and art methodology

•Created Upside-Down, multi-directional Masg Art in the following mediums: airbrush, collography, clayography, etching, lino-cut, oil on linen and canvas, acrylic on canvas, acrylic on board, emulsion transfer, mixed media, photography, digiography, emulsion transfer on metal, pen & ink with watercolor, pencil and ink on paper, oil pastel, collage, digital imaging, vector-based CGI, acetone transfer

•Has been awarded for being considered one of America’s Leading Art Educators, frequently serving as a Lead Art Educator on a variety of curriculum writing and Art Education textbook adoption committees or chairperson capacities. Emerson’s curriculum writing experiences have included practicum, research and committee collaboration to develop Art Education practices and standards for Art Foundation teaching and Cornerstone Assessments which serve as standards or benchmarks to assess a practicing artist’s skills and ability(2008 to 2012)

•Secured exhibition opportunities for student artists - having exhibited several academic thousand works.

•Invented in excess of 50 documented new methods for making Upside-Down Art or Masg Art

•Established a world record in the “Most Digital Works Created in One Hour” with the record set at 86 in 2007 and succeeded to a new record of 87 in 2008, both held by Emerson

•Published The Purple Tree; Art in a Boundless Age, 2009

•2012 Charles Saatchi personally flags Emerson’s online Saatchi Gallery as a “Liked User”

•Among the world’s most accomplished airbrush artists, having been placed in magazines the age of 19 and still today advancing the power of airbrush through invention and exhibition.

•Serving among the world’s most influential 21st Century Artists and Designers

•Created work for numerous patron including Grammy Winning musician/songwriter Leon Russell – who wrote “Superstar” the number one hit song for the late Karen Carpenter , March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983 (also a Grammy Winner) and living legend Barbara Streisand, born April 24, 1942.

•Donated by Deed the printing, publishing and rights to sale of over $1 million dollars in art.

•Created the first Upside-Down Art/Masg art Portraiture featuring a living person

•Established new art movement named “Pop Not” – genuine Pop Art styled social criticism with Pop styled, collages and punchy graphics but far removed from the kitschy, pseudo Pop Art existing today. L. R. Emerson II documented in the Purple Tree; Art in A Boundless Age the mission of Pop Not artists and the socially critical work they produce.

•Produced 14 Art Education videos highlighting the earmarks of Upside-Down Art

•Achieved in excess of 100 awards including awards for advertising design and photography

•Received critical acclaim from Nicholas Forrest, contributing writer to Art and Antiques Magazine. Forrest wrote about L. R. Emerson II’s Upside-Down Art or Masg Art stating “Amazing art by an amazing artist!” 2006

•Written and published Art History and or Criticism articles about Upside-Down Art

•Exhibited Upside-Down Art or Masg Art at prominent museums such The Museum of Contemporary Art

•Works held in both private estate and public art collections

•Developed, termed and published research about the "Digigraph" art process and art medium - a unique new art medium using traditional art media and technology

•2005, Established e4 Fine Art and an accompanying website e4fineart.com to serve as the exclusive representative for L.R.’s work and the web site to host functional space to not only electronically exhibit my work but moreover to share understanding about the art history related to Upside-Down Art.

•To date www.e4fineart.com.com and its’ counterpart gallery, www.upside-down-art.com has had over 600.000 visitors from across the planet and exists as “The World’s Largest Solo Artist Site” TM

•First artist to call for a change in the current Art Education texts and practices as L. R. Emerson II’s 30 years of pioneering research has proved the merits and validity of Upside-Down Art, or Masg Art as being a worthy alternative to the three common forms of compositional balance.

Because of the work of L. R. Emerson II and other supporting Upside-Down artists the old texts and teaching foundations known as The Principles of Art/Design are outdated and need revision. Museums, Art Critics, Educators, conservators and Historians can no longer ignore the relevance and merit of multi-directional composition or Upside-Down Art.

 

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