In a style that will captivate mid-20th century art lovers, artist Josh Egle, aka SHAG, envisions a world where women with beehive hairstyles relax by palm-lined pools and cool kids drink martinis while black cats prowl around the edges.
Josh Egle, known professionally as Shag (stylized as SHAG), is a contemporary artist widely known for his unique style that captures the essence of mid-20th century modernism and retro pop culture. With bright colors, bold designs and playful characters, SHAG has become an icon in the contemporary art world.
Growing up in Southern California, SHAG developed a deep respect for the architecture, design and fashion of the 1950s and 60s. In the early 1990s, the artist created his unique style, drawing inspiration from Palm Springs culture, mid-century modernist design, tiki culture, cocktail lounges and vintage advertising. He created a universe of characters, often depicted in glamorous and fantastical scenes, exuding an atmosphere of sophistication and mystery.
Through the masterful use of flat colors and clean lines, SHAG's art transports viewers into a retro-futuristic world that feels both nostalgic and modern at the same time.
One New York Times reviewer wrote of him: "In wide panels of neon colors and a style that imitates the semi-abstract cartoons of the early 1960s, he paints funny and strangely moving suburban pastorals. Modern, mostly glass houses are nestled in bucolic landscapes; graceful men in tuxedos and beautiful women in evening dresses and bikinis pose indoors and outdoors in a state of perfect composure. The pictures are reminiscent of the Playboy illustrations, when the publication embodied many American men's dreams of ultimate pleasure."
