The Art Department printmaking program and Department Chair present a talk by the Los Angeles-based painter/urban poster artist/political & social satirist ROBBIE CONAL on Thursday, May 6 at 2:00pm at the Baskin Visual Arts Seminar Room (Baskin Visual Arts Rm. D-101). Please arrive early for best seating.

Open to UCSC students, faculty and staff  (seating priority given to Art Department affiliates). For more information contact Moon Rinaldo, moonr@ucsc.edu, (831) 459-3686.

Known for his lively lectures, Conal will show images of his work and talk, among other other topics, about how he became an artist, how he then became a political artist, and how he has recently found respite from heavy topics in making art with animals as subjects. There will be a 20-30 minute Q&A period.

Since the 1980s Robbie Conal has made an international name for himself by speaking truth to power. Called "America's foremost street artist" by The Washington Post, Conal with his crews of guerilla volunteers have plastered posters up from L.A. to Washington, D.C. depicting wry visual critiques of such notables as Ronald Reagan, Tammy Faye Baker, and members of both Bush administrations.

Robbie Conal will be in Santa Cruz for the opening of a show of his work on May 7. Titled "Not Your Typical Political Animal," the show will present a selection of original paintings, drawings and limited edition prints of Conal's kitten, bunny and other animal-inspired art-he calls it his personal form of "karmic relief." While some of the pieces are undeniably cute others are related to his better-known work such as his drawings of politicians and their pets looking uncannily alike. This will be one of the most important art events of the year in Santa Cruz!

Web info:

Robbie Conal's web site: http://www.robbieconal.com

Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbie_Conal

YouTube video artist profile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PjkcuSzkRw