John Sauer (@johnsauerart) is a Minneapolis‑based painter, illustrator and former musician whose work sits in the pop‑surreal/lowbrow tradition, filled with long‑eyed “mecha‑human” figures, retro objects and odd little sci‑fi or psychological narratives.
After decades of band flyers, illustration and design gigs for clients like Target and 3M, he shifted in his 50s to focus on personal painting, now working mostly in oil on panel and postcard‑sized supports, aiming “to capture some of the emotional and psychological aspects of modern life through narrative.” His pieces—titled things like “Two Bit Truths,” “The Folklorists,” “The Telestic Voyager,” “This place just gets stranger everyday,” and “Upon Arrival On Moonbase 1”—appear in group and solo shows at spaces such as Brassworks Gallery, Stranger Factory and Twin Cities venues, as well as in pop‑surreal publications and online features.
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