[Showcase]: New Zealand Artist Brings Ultimate TMNT-Renaissance Mash Up to the Streets of Brooklyn

Talented artists are continuously bringing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to life in a variety of ways.  Whether through constructive ideas, fun mash ups, or mastery of skills, the ways in which fans choose to express their love and support for the franchise continues to grow.  It should come as no surprise, then, when a fan creates what is perhaps the largest TMNT mash up seen around NYC, giving the city a masterpiece it never knew that it needed.

Owen Dippie is a New Zealand boy who idolized ‘80s culture, especially when it came to the artistic masters of various genres, such as Michael Jackson, Andy Warhol, and Keith Haring.  As his love for painting grew when he was a teenager, Dippie found himself enamored with the Renaissance masters and their incredible work.  He sought to imitate their brushwork using spray paint, when even using brushes would have been no small feat.  “When I was 13 my teacher introduced me to Keith Haring – and it changed my life.  I was young — a troublemaker — and already I was majorly into art. But from that point on I decided to dedicate my life to art and I have been on this crazy journey ever since,” said Dippie.

Because of that love and respect, Dippie took his talents around the world, and gave Brooklyn two very impressive paintings that showcased his two loves: Renaissance art and pop culture.  While combining Haring’s “Radiantbaby” with Raphael’s “Radiant Madonna” created an awe-inspiring piece, the really awesome painting (and the one that TMNT fans everywhere can appreciate and admire) resides by train tracks in the city.  Taking the faces of four recognizable Renaissance artists, Dippie added colorful masks, and created a whole new and instantly recognizable work.  “I am a child of popular culture and am inspired by my heroes.  By involving them in my art I pay my utmost respect to them in the best way I know how.”  With each Renaissance artist sporting the colored mask of his namesake, the painting brings yet another TMNT artistic mash up to life on a scale not seen too often.

Art is a powerful tool for expression, in many different ways.  It showcases talent, while also allowing for personal interests and appreciation to seep in and create something utterly unique and amazing in its own right.  Even when imitating a classic known the world over, the right touch in the right place can give everything a brand new feel and provide a welcomed homage to amazing things.  Owen Dippie’s work is no different, and shows the impact that pop culture can have on a man and his creative endeavors.  Given the success of Dippie’s art, it’s only reasonable to suspect he’ll stick with the mash up theme for a while.  Hopefully that leads to even more TMNT-inspired work, surely giving him more fans from different bases than could have ever been hoped for.