Nelson De La Nuez

Nelson De La Nuez
Pop Artist/ King of Pop Art®
Born	February 26, 1959 Havana, Cuba
Nationality	American
Known for	Painter, Artist, Printmaking, Designer
Notable work	Wicked Witch The Donut Queen Chanel Wall Street/Monopoly Ditching Dorothy Material Girl
Movement	Pop Art, Satire, Parody
Website	http://www.kingofpopart.com

Nelson De La Nuez (born in 1959) in Havana, Cuba, is an American Contemporary Pop Artist and visual satirist.

Early life & Career

Nelson De La Nuez was born in Havana, Cuba and came to the US at age seven and was raised in Glendale, CA. He studied art history and in 1982 began exploring various media used together in his work, while juxtaposing the masters of art such as Vincent van Gogh or Pablo Picasso and juxtaposing the images with popular culture and satirical humor.^[1] This is when he created what became known as Art Juxtaposed. He is the creator and owner of the Museum of Humor Art (the MOHA) which sells all of the artist's humor, parody genre works of art. He is known for developing his unique, trademarked style called, "Art on the Edge," which is creating artwork on all four sides of the canvas.^[1] His style evolved into pop culture merged with surreal worlds, old time advertising, board games and nostalgia to create his original pop art with the "Art on the Edge." This style spoke to the baby boomers and everyone who remembered their childhood toys, music, films, politics and icons fondly.

Work

De La Nuez is known as the "King of Pop Art" ®^[2] for his original style of combining pop art and surrealism. He sold several pieces of art to Michael Jackson, on June 11, 2009. De La Nuez delivered the art to Jackson's home on June 15, not long before he died.^[3] They were the final three pieces of art to enter into Michael Jackson's vast art collection.^[3] On December 2, 2009, De La Nuez delivered the three pieces to Michael Jackson's children that were ordered before his death.^[3][4] He opened Pop Land Studios in Los Angeles, CA where he paints and creates. His art is sold online under his trademarked name "King of Pop Art®."

Nelson De La Nuez was the 70th Anniversary artist for the Warner Bros. Wizard of Oz (1939 film) film, and created original works of art that toured the world. "Ditching Dorothy," became a limited edition US postage stamp.^[5] His Oz originals all sold in auction for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation in New York at the Emerald Gala.^[6] He is also listed on the Who's Who List of the Most Collected Artists of Our Time.^[1][7]

De La Nuez is an international designer of brands for companies, including ICON leather shoes, purses and accessories with a collection of his pop art on them,^[8][9] high end designer men's shirts, a wallpaper collection for both the retail and hospitality industry by Designer Wallcoverings®.^[10] His company sells the luxury brand products separately on the site NelsonDeLaNuez.com Heys Luggage partnered with the artist for four uniquely themed collections that contained four different sized pieces of luggage in each,^[11] which sold out at high end department stores worldwide such as Neiman Marcus ^[12] and Lord and Taylor.^[13]

Nelson De La Nuez made an in store appearance for Neiman Marcus, sponsored by 805 Magazine, signing autographs and taking photos with fans while his popular shoe themed art hung in their designer shoe salon. A crowd of paparazzi gathered inside the store.^[14]

The ultra exclusive magazine, Private Air Luxury Homes, for wealthy private jet owners and luxury homeowners, featured the artist in the December 2013 issue in an article and glossy layout that revealed his rise to fame in the art world after years of incredibly hard work, and the beginning of his Pop Land Studios.^[15]

De La Nuez was a spokesperson for Fredrix Print Canvas; They partner with world renown artists.^[16] His art is sold in galleries worldwide.^[17] The artist donates artwork yearly for the Geffen Playhouse charity auctions for the Backstage at the Geffen Gala ^[18] event in which he makes an appearance, walking the red carpet and has raised over $200,000 for their charity. The theater dedicates a wall to his art and stars such as Tom Hanks, Warren Beatty, Clint Eastwood, Jane Lynch, Julie Andrews, Carol Burnett, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Elton John and director George Lucas and Aaron Sorkin attend and bid on the art each year. De La Nuez has hundreds of celebrity collectors. ^[19] David Copperfield, the "greatest illusionist of our time," is one of many and owns the artist's "Magic Monkey" painting.^[20]

His original art prices at the end of 2013 sold to a private collector for $65,000 ^[21] each and his work quickly sold out completely at Art Basel Miami at SCOPE and Red Dot shows and have each year since, as well as at the prestigious Hamptons Art Fairs. His artwork values have now tripled. His work is sold at all of the prestigious art fairs internationally. Sotheby's purchased ^[22] 3 original pieces of Nelson De La Nuez's recently to auction off in future contemporary art auctions.^[23]

• 
  The Donut Queen, 1 of Michael Jackson purchases/Pop Art Surreal Painting on Wood

Publications

• Pop Americana: The Pop Art of Nelson De La Nuez (2010) ISBN 978-0-578-05974-7
• Art Juxtaposed: Nelson De La Nuez Calendar TeNeus Publishing Group ISBN 3-8327-0667-4
• Art Juxtaposed: Nelson De La Nuez Boxed Note cards (20) TeNeus Publishing Group ISBN 3-8238-4728-7
• ^[24]

References

External links

• Official website
• Nelson De La Nuez's MOHA (Museum of Humor Art humor website
• Legends Gallery of La Jolla
• Bruce Lurie Gallery, Beverly Hills
• Gallery 1949, Aspen
• DTR Modern Galleries, Palm Beach, Boston, Washington DC