Voyage LA Magazine: When Lee Gren was growing up in Chicago and daydreaming of superheroes and pin-up girls, he never thought he would actually mingle with these mythical creatures in real life, let alone as a career. After attending art school, Gren moved out West, adopted the nom de plume Dick Cherry, and got his start designing concert posters and fliers for the Cat Club in Hollywood – the infamous haunt once owned and operated by former Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom.
Cherry hasn’t entirely abandoned his childhood fantasies. He still churns out pin-up art, posters, and paintings to indulge the skate-punk kid he once was – and still is, in spirit.
It was a call from Tinsley Studio – that opened up an entire new world of possibilities for Cherry. Since that first job (on the film John Carter), he has worked in special effects tattoo design for films such as Mad Max: Fury Road and Superman v. Batman: Dawn of Justice, Aqua man plus the television series’ Sons of Anarchy and Blindspot.
Please tell us about your art.
Dick: I am a pin up guy. I draw from my love of pop culture that raised me. Cartoons, toys and TV shows of the 70’s and 80’s are a huge source of inspiration. I illustrate on the computer and paint with acrylics. Art mirrors all aspects of life. My art shows the less serious side of things. Who doesn’t love cartoons?!?! I have always created art and I will do it as long as humanly possible.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
Dick: Success is having enough coffee in me to get a fraction of what is in my head accomplished.
Contact Info:
Website: dickcherry.com
Instagram: instagram.com/dickcherry/
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