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LoveMonster's Unearthed in Rancho Mirage California
Spending any amount of time with Rancho Mirage based and well known multimedia artists Karen & Tony Barone is to enjoy and be mesmerized by two individuals so creatively in synch and in love that it puts a broad smile on one’s face; and you understand in just a few minutes the reason behind the ongoing success of their diverse artistic careers. At the same time their home, which has art everywhere inside and out, is a warm, welcoming and comfortable space with working studio.

Brought together by a chance encounter on a Chicago commuter train amidst the Flower Power of the 70s (there are no coincidences you know), Karen and Tony have welded together a lifetime relationship based on talent, mutual respect and above all their ongoing love, which fires their talents, creativity and ongoing artistic adventures. Tony’s mind never seems to rest, always on the move thinking inside and outside the boxes he just created while you are frantically taking notes. Karen then compliments and enhances Tony’s ideas almost as if there is one thread connecting their minds (synchronicity anyone?). What a gift.

Both successful in their own right as well as together, the two have worked in fine art painting, ceramics, sculpture, architectural business design, cosmetics and more, traveling the world to work on projects and learn from the unknown and different cultures they have experienced and grown to love. At one point laughing, Karen makes reference to always feeling like the two are maybe five years or so ahead of the times, yet looking at the art all around their home, it all seems timeless and still topical. Their work exudes an exuberance, passion and fun that I have rarely experienced together in contemporary artworks.

One project near and dear to both their hearts has lain somewhat dormant now for nearly five years since its initial gallery debut in Los Angeles many years ago. We thought it was high time that this amazing amalgamation of their combined talents saw the light of today’s contemporary glass coffee tables, considering its hysterical, satirical, comic and political overtones, beautifully blended in an amazingly designed piece of published art that highlights Tony’s original and often twisted drawings and Karen and Tony’s simple though colorfully textured, entertaining narrative.

LoveMonsters aren’t scary –they’re just misunderstood has traveled a long road from Tony’s mind to the end of a pencil, to its finally published (2003), limited and signed edition printing that had its debut in LA.

Every spring for a number of years in the 90s, Karen and Tony traveled back and forth to Zurita in Deruta, Italy, where they had been invited to work as guest artists designing ceramics for a new generation of Italians at the Umberto Grazia Ceramics Studios, a 500 plus year old family business that had its ceramic origins in Spain.

During one such spring trip there, the couple took one of their many side trips to explore the excavated ruins at Pompeii. While hiking through the ruins they came across a series of ancient black and white mosaic tiles that were etched with strange and haunting skeletal figures. Tony captured these unusual images in photographs, fascinated by their imagery just as any tourist might do. He kept those photographs close and accessible, knowing some day he would revisit them.

One year on a flight to or from Italy (Tony can’t remember which); his thoughts kept drifting back to those tiles and their skeletal images again and again. Always carrying a sketchbook and colored pencils, Tony pulled out his sketchbook and started drawing.

Those initial sketches eventually grew into a sort of Valentine card that Tony sketched and passed to Karen whenever the two were traveling. This ‘passion’ based pastime and fascination with those original images eventually produced over 200 original pieces of art. Strangely enough, each sketch began with a pun on words and out of that grew these “lovemonsters” as the two now affectionately refer to them. Each had a heart shaped head again representing the love/valentine aspect that grew out of his original sketching and the imagination that took flight on that plane trip that year.

What is surprising is the vast territory that these puns ended up covering from the simple, straightforward “LoveMonster jamming w/ friends” to the naughty ones (as Karen refers to them) such as “LoveMonster feeding a line to a great looking chick with breast implants”. Now in all likelihood, your mind immediately conjured visual images to match these just mentioned titles, but beware -Tony’s mind is really out there. I can assure you that you’re not even close to what the actual accompanying cartoon images represent. Remember these are all based on puns – want to try that visualization again? '' Suffice it to say LoveMonsters aren’t scary –they’re just misunderstood is a visual and auditory feast for the eyes and ears (if read aloud). Tony originally wanted to publish the pieces collectively as an art book but Karen lobbied for a narrative story line with a beginning, middle and end accompanied by the art.

The resulting compromise (“I prefer inspired piece”) is a vibrant, jump off the table book that is guaranteed to stimulate conversation and add laughs galore to any cocktail/dinner/pool party. Whether it is politics or sex, the LA lifestyle or religion, nothing is sacred or off limits with these two’s imaginations, sense of humor, artistic talents and love of life. In reference to Karen’s earlier comment about “Being five years or so ahead of the times”, this book is as topical and irreverent in today’s social and political climate, and maybe even more so, than when originally published in 2003.

Like all of us, LoveMonsters need a home and loving people to care for and appreciate them. Spending time with these imaginative characters and their not so unusual lives, everyone will come to have their “special friends” among the seventy of the original 200 plus represented in this fun filled and playful book. Be forewarned this book is not for young children but most definitely the child in you. To see more on LoveMonsters aren’t scary–they’re just misunderstood go to www.LoveMonsters.com.

To see more on the amazing and imaginative works of Karen and Tony Barone go to www.baroneart.com.