10 Los Angeles Art Power Couples You Need To Know

Susan Michals, Friday, April 3, 2015

Art and power are two words already synonymous with Los Angeles, though more often than not, associated with the Hollywood set as opposed to the art crowd. But as Los Angeles continues to gain ground as one of the most up and coming (not to mention, important) art hubs globally, it's time to recognize those within the zip code, but who also remain outside the confines of the movie system (even if it's only peripherally). Here, in no particular order, are some of the top players on the scene, all of whom happened to be—for lack of a better term—"camera-ready."

Mark Ryden and Marion Peck (artists)
Cut from neo-Victorian cloth, painters Mark Ryden and Marion Peck are the king and queen of the Lowbrow/Pop Surrealism art scene. A long time cult figure, Ryden's latest show in LA was “The Gay 90's: West," at Kohn Gallery in 2014. Nearly two years in the making, the show drew over 2,000 attendees the first day. Fellow artist Marion is the yin to Ryden's yang; stylistically one can see how each influences the other's work. They are the arbiters of fantasy and exaggerated kitsch, wrapped up in a colorful Victorian epitaph. Collectively, the artists have nearly half a million followers on social media, and their collector roster includes Cliff and Mandy Einstein, singer Katy Perry, and actor Leonardo DiCaprio.