Ellington

Tad Lauritzen
Free

Memphis artist Tad Lauritzen's work is a joy to view. His whimsical yet socially applicable works employ patchwork-like patterns that become part of a larger subject, and his find-a-word pieces tout humorous statements like "This is my last cigarette" and "I never got the message." He depicts elements of pop culture and history at the same time, and has fun with it. Lauritzen seems to not be satisfied with the ordinary; his work is so layered and multi-faceted that you could spend long amounts of time deciphering just one. "I don't think about beauty, except as a joke," Lauritzen says in his artist statement. "I am more interested in powerful simplicity." Check him out. You won't regret it.