Ronny Bank

Pablo Picasso once said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” This essentially means that while you may not be the first to try something, you did it so well and became so immersed in it that eventually, everyone associates that style with you. Picasso, Liechtenstein, Monet, Warhol, Van Gogh... they might have started by copying and being inspired by others, but ultimately, they made it their own.

You can think what you want about comic books, but just consider how important they have been for people! Even now, 50 years after his death, Walt Disney is perhaps the foremost symbol of American culture, and it would be hard to imagine a world without what he and others created. Their world shaped my world. It's as simple as that! All my works are inspired by the comics, comic book heroes, pop culture of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and my own childhood experiences.

Ronny is often asked, "Why do you paint Mickey Mouse and The Phantom?"… "I don't work with Mickey Mouse, The Phantom, Batman, Silver Arrow, or any of the other well-known comic book characters, but with the meaning they and the world of comics had on me throughout my childhood, and most importantly, what it still means to me!"

Ronny caricatures, parodies, and depicts experiences and stories, weaving them together with memories from his own childhood and the contemporary world we live in.

"I play with emotions that still evoke thoughts in me, forgotten memories, fantasies, and daydreams I had as a child. I play with the child that still remains in me, the original me, from when I was just a little boy."

Ronny sees himself somewhat as an artistic DJ. He plays and mixes with others' hits, blending them with his own thoughts and experiences.

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