After graduating from Amherst College in 1983, Elliott Arkin got his start in New York as window designer for Tiffany’s and a special-effectsmodel-builder for films and commercials. These experiences continue to inform his work, which operates in the spaces between high art and popular culture. H

Absurd, Baroque, Classical, Clever, Figurative, Layered, Parody, Pre-modern sculpture, Psychological, Sardonic, Self-reflection, Witty

Sex and silliness -- those are the two major elements of Red or Dead's work. Wayne Hemingway's British design firm gives us sinuous clothing that holds onto its wearer as though it were simply colored, patterned, textured flesh, and he gives us the comedy of fake bunny fur and sequins. Red or De

Egalitarian, Funny, Parody, Playful, Sexy, Witty