Life After Loss Cat

December 2, 2008
by
2 mins read

by eric staniford
Jacksonville’s own Ronnie Land (RLand) returns for a showcase of new works at the Gallery at Screen Arts in St. Augustine. Starting with band flyers, t-shirts, his distinctive Little Bunny Foo-Foo character and cover art for EU, Ronnie has become more than just a local celebrity. His work is instantly recognizable, with a strong, rough line quality, bright colors, cartoonish text and characters morphing between reality and fantasy. His eccentric figures could be mistaken for cute were it not for their melting, oozing bodies, big bug eyes and the blatant sarcastic humor that accompanies them.
The RLand exhibit will be available for your enjoyment December 5 – January 31. The opening party is December 5 from 6 pm to midnight at The Gallery at Screen Arts (228 W. King Street, St. Augustine).
RLand is part of EU’s contributing family and his creations have graced our cover, so even though he’s a distant cousin (now in Atlanta), we like to keep track and caught up with Ronnie to get the latest on what he’s bringing home to show us.


EU: What is the key to getting art noticed in Jacksonville?
RL: As much as Jacksonville seemed to be a fairly limited place for an artist 20 years ago, I always remained optimistic and even imagined it to be much more than it actually was. What I was doing back then didn’t really fit in with what was going on in world of the art establishment in town, so I would figure out ways to “infiltrate” other parts of the community outside of the sacred galleries. House parties, new wave bars, hair salons, restaurants, local publications and the like were the kinds of places I could find acceptance and a larger and more varied audience. To this day that approach still works very well and has expanded to include just about any approach imaginable.


EU: How did Jacksonville shape your art?
RL: I’m from a long line of “Jacksonvillans” and I think growing up in Jax and all that First Coast living entails, i.e. the religious environment, the natural topography, small town attitude and the charm of the historic neighborhoods etcetera, have all factored into my process in profound ways. The longer I stay away, the more I realize that.


EU: Without giving too much away, what kind of new work are you showing at the Gallery at Screen Arts in December?
RL: Most of it will be stuff I did when I was a baby, the rest was made when I was ON somthin’, you know, when I was messed up.


EU: How do you explain the omnipresence of the Loss Cat fliers?
RL: The flier itself started out one night as a little goof that was meant just to amuse myself and my immediate neighborhood. Within six months it had spread far and wide. Seven years later, I am amazed at how it has become the foamy gift that just keeps on giving.


EU: Has there been any new Cartoon Network projects in the works after the Aqua Teen Hunger Force collection?
RL: Since then I’ve worked on various other projects for the network and for the last six months. I’ve been designing characters for a new show on Adult Swim.


EU: Are there any other issues you would like to take on (or are currently taking on) in the way you did the “Yuppie Ghetto” project?
RL: That kind of “campaigning” is what I do in the wee, wee hours when I need to take a break from the studio. Part of the appeal for me in the process is the anonymity of it all. So to call out the particulars would undermine the integrity of current and future projects but, that sort of activity really helps keep things fresh.


EU: What’s next?
RL: I’ll just try to figure out what role an artist has to play in these last days before Christ returns and whether any of it really matters.

Folio is your guide to entertainment and culture around and near Jacksonville, Florida. We cover events, concerts, restaurants, theatre, sports, art, happenings, and all things about living and visiting Jax. Folio serves more than two million readers across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, including St. Augustine, The Beaches, and Fernandina.

Current Issue

SUBMIT EVENTS

Submit Events

Advertisements

Alice Cooper at the AMP
The Amp
Collision Homecoming
JWJ Park Events
omaha-steaks-banners

Date

Title

Current Month

Follow FOLIO!

Previous Story

March of Dimes

Next Story

musical icon back on tour

Latest from Visual Art

February Art

The Art Center Cooperative tacjacksonville.org   Beaches Museum beachesmuseum.org Butterfield Garage Art Gallery butterfieldgarage.com The Corner Gallery at The Jessie movingthemargins.org Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens cummermuseum.org  FemArt Gallery femartgallery.org First Coast Cultural Center firstcoastculturalcenter.org  Flagler College–Crisp Ellert Museum flagler.edu Florida Community

INAUGURAL JACKSONVILLE MURAL FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED!

Words by Jason Tetlak The National Mural Awards has invited three nationally recognized muralists to the First Coast to paint alongside local artists for the first ever Jacksonville Mural Festival. The event, which will be held Jan. 22-25, 2025 promises to add color to the growing Rail Yard District and

January Art Listing

The Art Center Cooperative tacjacksonville.org   Beaches Museum beachesmuseum.org Butterfield Garage Art Gallery butterfieldgarage.com The Corner Gallery at The Jessie “Marcus Williams: Un-American Gods,” through Feb. 12 movingthemargins.org Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens “Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri: Mysteries that Remain,” through Jan. 12 cummermuseum.org  FemArt Gallery

Artist By Accident: RJ Higgins

Words by Lorelei Belanger “I’m RJ Higgins and I’m an artist, kind of by accident.”  In 2010, RJ Higgins had an ATV accident, fracturing C1, C2, C3 and bursting C4 vertebrae in his neck. He was paralyzed from the neck down with many people thinking he would be

November Art Listing

The Art Center Cooperative  “A View From My Window,” through Nov. 9 tacjacksonville.org   Beaches Museum beachesmuseum.org Butterfield Garage Art Gallery Silver Jubilee Exhibition butterfieldgarage.com The Corner Gallery at The Jessie “Marcus Williams: Un-American Gods,” through Feb.12, 2025 movingthemargins.org Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens “Mick Namarari
July 5th Cleanup
GoUp

Don't Miss

The Avett Brothers

November 15 The Avett Brothers St. Augustine Amphitheatre (904) 471-1965

Paula Poundstone

Paula Poundstone “Twitter is the postcards in my head.” It’s