I was intrigued and rather delighted when I saw Jacob Gagnon’s tea and cupcake display…populated with miniature giraffes and ladders (of COURSE they need ladders! How would they reach the top teacups otherwise?).
In his portfolio we find all kinds of creatures strangely interacting with household items.
In fact, I can safely say I’ve never seen such a proliferation of wild animals and fine china.
And I adore the way he skews the scale of his subjects.
Five years ago I saw Mark Ryden’s Gay 90’s exhibit in NY (wow…has it been five years already?). It was an incredible show filled with Ryden’s trademark wide eyes, kitschy color schemes, symbolism and American icons of bygone days.
The Gay 90’s West just opened in LA, featuring a gigantic new piece:
Ryden states:
One of the main pieces in this show is a large automaton diorama, titled Memory Lane [see video, above]. It is an eight-by-four-foot enclosure housed in a circus wagon-like structure. It is a bustling city street scene full of a combination of altered found objects (toys and dolls), sculpted, and painted elements. In an overarching way, it combines all of the themes and ideas I have been working with.
See an interview with Ryden about this show here.
I stumbled upon Wibbley World in a random google image search, and found a collection of sweet, strange little animals.
I would love to see a plushy model/toy of this one.
And this.
Most creations are just a tad askew; not exactly cute, just shy of a nightmare.
Jeff Stahl creates incredible celebrity caricature. Check out Christopher Walken!
Audrey Tautou:
His angles and skewing of perspective are brilliantly done. So distorted, yet so recognizable.
Anne Hathaway:
He also does some great skull studies.
Tati Suarez paints big eyed girls who, in a pretty, innocent kind of way, all seem to have a touch of the Innsmouth look.
Strange, alien…almost bug-like…yet a bit captivating.
Henry Schreiber has a marmot obsession. These fuzzy inhabitants of mountainous terrain take on many different roles in Shreiber’s work.
Terminator marmot! (Two words I never thought I’d say together)
I rather love the fact that he sticks with one beloved creature in a variety of forms, ranging from deadly to regal. Marmots have been drastically underrepresented in the art world.
What marmot would YOU want to see if you made a request?
Meredith Dittmar creates amazing 3-dimensional sculptures, showing oddly mechanized creatures and interwoven nature themes.
A couple of them, like this one below, remind me of ancient alchemical art.
Click images to enlarge.
From the artist bio:
Dittmar’s human-animal-plant-energy amalgams contain threads of common elements and colors to express deep levels of union across themes of biology, technology, and consciousness . Her characters are frequently involved in quiet expressive moments, or lounge facing their audience so they can share their inner space. Dittmar believes it is this space we recognize in ourselves, and through convening in that space, the interconnectedness of all things is revealed.
Born near Boston Mass, she grew up in a world of pet pigs, horses, hay-forts and spy games . Follow this with an education in computer science, a career in interactive design, a compulsive need to create, and a drive to Seek and you get the major elements of her person and work.
I wish these pieces contained a listing of size and materials used. I want to get a sense of what they would look like in person.
My friend Liesje introduced me to the lovely collage work of Adrienne Slane.
From the artist statement:
I combine images of plants, insects, animals, human anatomy, and religious figures into detailed, colorful collages where individual elements fit together like pieces in a puzzle. Inspired by the history of the curiosity cabinet, the Victorian concept of momento mori, and Christian iconography and ritual, my work celebrates the beauty and interconnectivity of nature while also acknowledging the cyclical aspect of life, death, and decay. My work blends elements of science, myth, and religion into images that pay homage to the past within a contemporary context.
Needless to say, her entire range of subject matter appeals to me.
SheWalksSoftly 