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Pop Culture Figures Cleverly Added to Thrift Store Paintings

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Looking for a little levity? Dave Pollot‘s clever oil paintings have always brought a smile to our faces. Pollot scours thrift shops for used paintings and prints, which are then transforming into humorous art pieces under his deft hand. He's mastered the art of finding just the right place to insert pop culture figures and references, blending them seamlessly into the pre-existing scenery. His work doesn't take itself too seriously—just putting a smile on the face of his audience is the aim.

Based in New York, Pollot's use of old artwork came about for pratical reasons—his short attention span called for something he could complete quickly. “Repurposing old thrift art has become something of an answer to this problem,” the artist shares. “I take abandoned prints and paintings found at thrift stores and garage sales and carefully use oil paints to make new additions into the old pieces. Part of the challenge is not only taking some piece of pop culture and putting it into a place where it might not belong, but also making it blend in so well that it actually seems that it belongs.”

Pollock's work brings these discarded pieces out of dusty attics or grandma's living room and gives them a second life. His world creates an escapist fantasy that catches us off guard—forcing us to play a fun game of ‘one of these things does not belong.' Pollock sells prints and original artwork via Etsy.

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Dave Pollot: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Etsy
via [Laughing Squid]

All images via Dave Pollot.

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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