BEYOND THE STREETS Publishing and CONTROL Gallery have announced the release of a comprehensive book of sketches from celebrated Los Angeles-based artist, Mark Machado aka Mister CARTOON.
Titled “Sketches: Book One,” the offering features over 290 drawings and 180 pages that explore over two decades of work from the artist. The book is said to include intimate looks at the artist’s ideation process and work that has appeared in tattoos, magazines, commercial projects, and more – including never before seen work.
Having gained popularity for his distinctive style of tattooing, which incorporates elements of fine art, graffiti, and Chicano culture. Mister CARTOON’S work often features intricate black and gray designs, incorporating images of iconic figures, lettering and cultural symbols.
Over time, the artist has garnered significant attention and has been sought after by numerous celebrities, including musicians, athletes and actors. His client list includes names like Beyoncé, Eminem, Travis Barker and more. In addition to tattooing, Mister CARTOON has quite the history of commercial collaborations, with brands like Nike, Vans and Casio, creating limited-edition designs and custom artwork.
As for the release of his sketchbook with BEYOND THE STREETS, the artist shared that “Over the last 20 years I’ve accumulated countless drawings in my drawers that I thought would never see the light of day.”
He further explained that “They aren’t finished in many ways, but they do offer a peek into how I first started developing ideas for what would become artwork for tattoos, magazines and even logos. These pen and pencil drawings are raw, very unpolished and definitely not digital like many things are these days. They’re old-school sketches on paper that I’m hyped to see come together and be presented in a way that can celebrate my journey as an artist. It’s not always about being perfect, but rather keeping things loose and fluid to express all the ideas in my head.”
The book is available for purchase now at the BEYOND THE STREETS online store for $55 USD.
In other art news, David Kordansky Gallery celebrates 20 years with a new group exhibition.
