Long-time Austinite John Lathrop is the Founder, Creative Director, and Chief Artist of Plaid Design. John’s entire childhood was an exploration of art; he meticulously studied a wide range of movements and styles, artists like Bill Watterson and Mort Drucker to Andy Warhol and Peter Max to Salvador Dalí and Mark Ryden. Consequently, his own art evolved from cartoons to hyper-realistic portraits to surrealist psychedelic scenescapes. As a teen, he earned commissioned murals, posters for local businesses, and even a weekly comic strip running in the local newspaper – all before graduating high school. He’s since painted commissions for clients such as MLB legend Cecil Fielder, TV icon Bob Barker, and writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait.
In 2014, John opened his art & graphic design studio, Plaid Design, coinciding with the development of his mixed-media approach to art, combining hand-painted digital artwork with graphic design techniques to create his vibrant, colorful clean-line style, which he lovingly calls Mod Pop Art. Drawing inspiration primarily from pop culture, his graphic portrait and poster work breathes new life into classic and current references, putting a fun, original spin on pop surrealism, often with a twist of humor and absurdist parody. Also inspired by mosaic art, much of his recent work explores patterns, shapes, and color, specifically the dichotomy between the harmony of monochromatic hues and the beauty of chaotic randomness. The result is bold and striking eye-candy, with a vibe that feels vintage, yet unmistakably modern.
John’s hope is to connect via nostalgia. “My one goal with my artwork is simply to make you smile. And maybe chuckle. And feel good. That’s it. I think smiles and laughs are pretty important, and exceptionally valuable in today’s world.”
Contact our fine art specialist, Dana Burton, for more information on fine art scans and reproduction.