The Weird Cartoons, Kitsch & Culture of Low Brow Art features works from forty local artists and a handful of others from as far as New York and Mexico City, who work in styles related to cartoons and other sequential art like comic books, comic strips, graphic novels, and Manga, as well as graffiti, tattoos, Naïve / Outsider Art and other related styles.

The artist Robert Williams helped pioneer the underground comix movement in the 1960s by co-founding the ground-breaking Zap Comix and later founded the art magazine Juxtapoz. Williams coined the phrase Low Brow Art – an umbrella term that describes many styles and practices that have been historically rejected by formal art academia – comic books, movie posters, trading cards, surfer and tiki art, hot rod culture, and many others. combining these concepts with the surrealist painters of the early 20th century and the psychedelic art that he and his cohorts were creating in the 1960’s, he formed a new art style he calls Pop Surrealism, which has been embraced by a new generation of artists.

From the Dadaists to Mad Magazine to Post-Pop to Street Art to the wonderfully weird creations on display here, let’s celebrate the rich history of irreverent, boundary-breaking, limit-pushing doodlers who make us laugh and think and want to draw some more.

—James Walton, Curator

Swiss-born American painter Robert Füerer’s artistic journey is shaped by a rich blend of cultural experiences. The SLCC alumnus spent 21 years immersed in Asia's art scenes, where he learned fluent Mandarin, incorporated an intercultural perspective into his work, and founded three art schools in Taiwan. His time at the State University of New York, School of Art and Design, provided an ideal environment for Füerer to evolve as a painter where he received a full-ride scholarship for his best-in-show piece, George. Since earning a BFA in Painting and Drawing in 2009, his art journey has unfolded through narrative oil paintings. His series of 36 Dreams of Mt. Fuji is inspired by a struggling marriage, and The Beauty of the Father depicts his father's cancer journey, transitioning to the timeless subject of The Life of Christ. Each series is a chapter in his evolving narrative, expressing emotional turbulence and resilience on canvas. Now back in Utah, Füerer joyously immerses himself in the captivating landscape of the Wasatch Mountains, infusing his creations with the essence of the Alps in his homeland. His artistic journey combined with his understanding of Buddhism, Taoism, and Christianity inspires a harmonious fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics, treasured by collections, galleries, and museums worldwide.