andre miripolsky
Andre Miripolsky is as colorful a man as the colorific art he creates. His signature style of Neo-Pop imagery is bright, whimsical, energetic, happy and and just downright fun. A true multi-media artist, Andre is much more than a painter, taking his unique pop-style into sculpture, mobiles, NFTs, graphics, branding, production design, film sets and costumes. There is no artist who is more deeply and lovingly associated with the entertainment mecca of Los Angeles than Andre. His infectious smile and the playful art that comes with it have been embraced by film and music stars for decades, including the creation of several art costumes for Sir Elton John – most notably being the iconic “Piano Jacket” made for the pop musician’s famous Central Park concert. The often-photographed Piano Jacket became a best-selling poster and a highly prized glossy photo for Elton John’s autograph seekers.
Andre the giant smile
Andre has also collaborated on projects for Bette Midler, Quincy Jones, Robin Williams, the Rolling Stones, MTV and Mattel, where he was commissioned to create a one-of-a-kind “Miripolsky Art Barbie.” From 1997-2004 he painted huge scenic sets and floors for the music segments of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, making history as the first visual artist ever commissioned to create original scenic art. He also made basketball history in 1992 by painting a 6,000 sq. ft. mural directly on UCLA’s center court at Pauley Pavilion for MTV’s Rock and Jock B-Ball Jam. Andre’s famous “Fear No Art” button has been sold continuously at the Los Angeles Contemporary Art Museum since 1985 and has been carried by over 300 museums around the world.
One of the famed Absolut Vodka artists of the 90’s, he created his first Absolut ad in 1991. Absolut was so enamored of his work they invited him to paint live on their website, for their ground-breaking “Human Ant Farm” project in 1997, a week-long live art show broadcast. A year later, he again made headlines with a day-glow version of the Absolut Miripolsky billboard in San Francisco. It was so well received it became a landmark that remained posted for two years.
Born in Paris, the son of an artist who was also a Cultural Advisor for the American Foreign Service, Andre was exposed to many diverse cultures that stimulated his imagination and created the desire to capture the beauty around him. Living in exotic locales including Austria, Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, and South Korea, he began painting with his father’s oils, creating his first landscape painting at age 8.
At age 10 he sold his first painting, to the American Ambassador in Indonesia, and the sales have been steady ever since. After graduating High School in Seoul, Korea, he headed to the California Institute of the Arts, where he honed his quirky and unique style. He has an international following and is regarded as one of Japan’s most beloved contemporary American artists, selling over 200 paintings there in the past several years through his representative galleries.
Andre has quite literally become part of the landscape of Los Angeles. His branding campaign Viva LA! proudly evokes the cultural heritage and jubilant energy of the city, emblazoned on billboards, bus sides, murals and myriad promotional items that permeate the community. A 2005 commission by the Central City Association of Los Angeles produced a large 3-D wall sculpture depicting the dramatic growth of the Downtown LA skyline, and additional local public art has included murals in Pershing Square, Starline’s Hollywood tour buses, and a dazzling, mosaic-mirrored street piano that graced the courtyard of Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre for the “Play Me, I’m Yours” international public art and music campaign, sponsored by the Hollywood Arts Council.
He was also commissioned by the City of Pomona to paint not one but two school buildings, including all 4 exterior walls of the renowned School of Arts and Enterprise. Titled Pomonacopia, the mammoth project he calls covers over 15,000 sq. ft, hand-painted in a by Andre in his signature brilliant colors and dazzling shapes. Completed in 2015, it remains the largest public art project in the region.
Andre has lent his energy to many social causes, either through creation of inspiring art posters, commissioned murals, or by directly working on non-profit boards and committees. His commitment to causes include work for Pro-Peace, Aids Project Los Angeles, Artists for Disarmament, Colors for Freedom, Peace Love Studio, Paws LA, and for inner-city youth in Los Angeles. He was recently honored in a show at the non-profit Art Share L.A. gallery as a “Downtown Legend,” selected as one of 5 artists whose exceptional artistic work of over 25 years, social consciousness, and significant contributions to the community makes Los Angeles a better place to live. Viva Andre!
