Summary

Mark Ulriksen’s varied interests are often the subjects of his artworks, be they politics or dogs, people or sports, or simply capturing the essence of a Sunday stroll in the park. His instantly recognizable portraits and whimsical take on life have led to now 60 covers of The New Yorker magazine, where he has been a regular contributor since 1993, alongside other greats such as David Hockney, Maira Kalman, Saul Steinberg, Art Spiegelman, and Barry Blitt.

Ulriksen’s inspirations range far and wide, from the twisted outlook of Mad magazine and Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons of his youth, to the line work of picture-book artist Miroslav Šašek; and all the way to Flemish storytellers like Rogier van der Weyden, and photographers like Arnold Newman. Film has also been a great influence on Ulriksen’s work, he explains, “Movies by Billy Wilder, Wes Anderson, and Buster Keaton have given me color palettes, compositions, and a love of dry, deadpan humor.”

Mark Ulriksen’s work is in the permanent collection of The Smithsonian and the Library of Congress. He covered the 2008 Masters and 2015 British Open for Golf Digest and has created murals for United Airlines and the Chicago Bears that grace the walls of the United Club at Soldier Field. His dog prints adorn the halls of Kaiser Permanente hospitals throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been the regular illustrator for the San Francisco Jazz Festival and the recipient of numerous awards, including Gold and Silver medals from the NY Society of Illustrators. His 2006 New Yorker cover parody of the film Brokeback Mountain was named the year’s top magazine news cover by the Magazine Publishers of America.