Josh Agle aka “Shag”

Shag is a painter, designer and illustrator working in Southern California. His distinctive artistic style draws from commercial illustration from the past five decades, but the work is imbued with an attitude and sly sense of humor that is unmistakably of our time. Solo exhibitions of Shag’s work have been held in the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia and South America.

His paintings celebrate consumerism and consumption on vividly colored, sharply rendered panels; the characters drink, smoke and eat in lavish, stylish surroundings. But Shag sees the visuals of his work as window-dressing or stage scenery. He’s more concerned with the themes and narratives in the paintings, and the meanings a viewer might find when he looks at a piece of Shag art.

Shag lives with his wife and children in a mid-century home overlooking a peaceful wooded valley, much like homes he paints in his art. He considers Palm Springs, Calif. his second home, and is an enthusiastic booster for the city. In 2009, The Shag store opened in Palm Springs. It is the world’s first retail boutique and gallery dedicated solely to his art, prints and merchandise, and has quickly become a must-see destination for people visiting the city.