Friday Art Fest, Week 12, 2016: "Dawning" by Low Bros

"Dawning" by Low Bros (source)

"Dawning" by Low Bros is one of those paintings that I have a hard time describing why I think it fucking rocks. Maybe because it reminds me of Star Fox with the blocking polygon effects or maybe it's the boarder that makes me think about being in the doctor's office when I was 13 years old and no one could figure out what was going wrong with me (spoilers: they never did). In the end it doesn't matter because this painting just fucking rocks. I want to see it hanging over my computer and to hear my son howl at it. I want to adventure in it when I'm playing D&D. 

It. just. fucking. rocks.

Friday Art Fest, Week 11, 2016: "Orgullo" by Gustavo Rimada

"Orgullo" by Gustavo Rimada (source)

Often when you hear people talking about confident women in art they're talking about some sort of meaningless garbage where the woman either needs to be placed into a masculine role or where they have to be put up on some sort of pedestal (though that must be done without any hint of sexuality). Such things do not concern Gustavo Rimada's works as he has made the women he paints into the sort of people I've known my entire life: confident, uncaring of your social mores, and fully capable of destroying your world if you fuck with them.

"Orgullo", pride in English, typifies what Rimada's been capable of creating. She exudes the sort of integral nature of what true pride in oneself should be. There is no fear in her eyes and every bit of her has this sort of, "I give not one fuck about your shit," attitude that I just adore. In "Orgullo" is everything that I imagine to be found when you look in the eyes of Amazons. She's Red Sonja and Dejah Thoris. She's Zuggtmoy and Iggwilv.  "Orgullo" is everything right with the powerful women that actually exist in the world without the baggage shoved down on them by people with too much time on their hands and an ax to grind.

In fact, I like it so much that I'm ordering a poster of it this week. If you have an opportunity you should check out Rimada's website because he's putting out some fantastic stuff.

Friday Art Fest, Week 10, 2016: "Tales from a Tin Can" by Brian Despain

"Tales from a Tin Can" by Brian Despain (source)

I love how playful Brian Despain's worlds are with their expressive robots that remind of SCUD the Disposable Assassin in the best way possible. Every painting he creates seems to expand on a world rooted in its own logic and that breathes with a vibrancy that many would kill for a tenth of what he's able to portray.  

I adore this painting. 

The robot with his clinched fist, puffed out chest, and open heart speaks to this determination that has me thinking about Superman and the Golden Age heroes that used to put fists on their hips and dispense justice to NAZIs without a care about their teenage sidekicks who are spinning about while bullets wiz over their heads. It's as though we're looking into an alternate timeline where the robots have been purposfully built to accomplish tasks that go far beyond the simple welding operations that Ford has concieved of and instead has moved towards something that would feel at home in Matt Groening's Futurama or William Shattner's Tek novels. 

If you get a chance you should definitely check out Despain's website as he's created a series of paintings that have given life to a world far more interesting than I can do justice. 

Friday Artfest: WHATS UP DOC by Jim "Food One" Mahfood

WHATS UP DOC by Jim "Food One" Mahfood

Jim Mahfood is one of those fantastic artists whose illustrations in comic books always seem to tell a more evocative story than the words that crop up on the page. I'm often impressed by the way that he uses black in his pictures to create a more vibrant feel of color. This illustration is a beautiful example of his skill.

Like most of Mahfood's illustrations this depiction of Alice in Wonderland is wholly his own. He mostly defies the stereotypical depictions of the characters and instead transforms them into something that is unmistakably his own. Alice in the black top with her shades isn't a little girl overtaken by the strangeness of Wonderland but instead appears to be a grown woman who has chosen to subvert the real world for one that is transformed by her mind. Yet it is not Alice that is the focal point of the picture, but the Mad Hatter. The Caterpillar seemingly spews forth from the Hatter's mouth to curl back behind him while his mouth is extended into a madman's laugh that you can almost hear cackling from the page. While rising from the Hatter's tea cup appears the White Rabbit. There's a suggestion here that the tea itself is, if not poison in of itself, a hallucinogenic that has inspired the entire scene.

Jim Mahfood is steadily becoming one of my favorite modern illustrators with his bold lines and distinctive style. If you liked this piece you can check out more of his work on his official website or you can pick up one of his excellent books.

Friday Artfest: Maxximized Maxx Cover by Sam Kieth

Maxximized Maxx Cover by Sam Kieth

Sam Kieth is one of those figures in comic book art that opened up the possibilities for what the medium was capable of doing. His illustrations challenged the notion of what characters looked like. They were more brutal, often bestial, and there was always a hint of a deeper reality just beyond the images.

This cover he did for Maxximized Maxx is breathtaking. All about the two central figures is this image is a wild explosion of color and formlessness that seems to be pressing against them, threatening to overwhelm the two. Yet Julia, the woman ridding Maxx, seems to radiate a sense of serenity that pushes back against everything else in the world and brings a sense of grounding to the Maxx. Yet in spite of her calming influence the Maxx isn't at piece. His muscles are taunt and everything about him seems to be readying to explode at a moments notice into a frenzy of violence. 

There's a looseness to Kieth's work that gives it a frenetic feel and that makes the Maxx seem all to likely to jump off the page. As you look at him, notice the way his leg bends the wrong way and the odd bulges appear on his thigh near where his knee should be. And the almost graffiti-like pattern that surrounds those bulges. His left arm, closest to the audience, seems to bubbling with muscles that don't exist in reality right near the glove with its frayed end. He's an unworldly character brought into our view. Too strange to be real, too odd to live. 

I love Sam Kieth. His art style is just overwhelming at times and the things that he's able to do with pencil and ink are mind blowing. If you liked his artwork of old you can check out the pieces he's working on today at his blog Trout-a-verse. Or you can pick up one of his collections at the links below.

Friday Artfest: Appetite for Destruction by Robert Williams (1978)

Appetite for Destruction by Robert Williams (1978) Click to make bigger

Robert Williams is one of those artists who tends to make me incredibly happy that he exists. Appetite for Destruction is a prime example of what makes me enjoy him so very much. 

When I was researching this painting the robot standing over the woman is regularly referred to as a rapist and the large beast leaping over the fence is described as a metal devouring monster. Of the beast leaping over the fence's narrative I will not argue for that appears to be exactly what he is; yet it is the story surrounding the robot and woman that I have a harder time accepting. Were this all your eyes were drawn to then it would be simple to imagine that she is about to be raped, however, her face tells another story. Instead of expressing terror or any similar emotion as you might expect in this situation she looks as though she's wrapped up in a moment of orgasmic ecstasy. Then there's the woman's robot assailant. Even a cursory examination of his body reveals on that could not possibly commit the act. His mouth is too large and looks far more capable of biting her in half than being involved in any sexual act. The clamps the robot has for hands are also too large and not capable of sex, and least you think that perhaps he has a hydrolic cock waiting to destroy her flesh his coat is flung open revealing a smooth, flat surface underneath.

No, I find it far more reasonable to assume that the robot is there to kill the woman than to savagely rape her. Everything about his body posture to the way that he is destroying the tiny robots she had been selling looks far more like an attempted murder than an attempted rape. But what about her panties, breast, and the look on her face?

This is Robert Williams. What other answer do you need?

Friday Artfest: Midnight Snack by Jamian Juliano-Villani (2013)

Midnight Snack by Jamian Juliano-Villani (2013)

Last February I discovered Jamian Juliano-Villani and fell in love with this artist's entrancing work. Her paintings have an easy way of both comforting and completely upsetting me when I look at them and Midnight Snack is no exception.

Midnight Snack is deceptively simple upon first glance. The scene is reminiscent of so many childhoods where a worn out mother comes home late at night looking for something to eat and a few minutes of rest only to find that the children are still up and no peace will be found. But if you give the picture a closer look things are far different than they first appeared. 

On the upper left hand corner of the refrigerator is a man's tie and on the corner of the counter are his glasses seemingly existing within the same space as the potted flowers. It's as though he's both here and gone beyond our plane of existence - which may very well be the case as looking into the freezer box you can see two hands reaching out. Yet even as these hands grasp for freedom the look on the woman's face seems not to register their appearance, as though they aren't really there. The two worlds theme does not end here as in the door of the fridge, near her knees, is a fish spitting out water as though it were still alive while a skeletal shadow with crossed eyes is cast on the refrigerator door. And then there's the bird cage where the parrot has escaped to land on the top of the cabinets while the vulture sits in the cage watching the little girl enter the room. 

I love Jamian Juliano-Villani and Midnight Snack only reinforces my belief that she is one heck of a talent. Hopefully soon I'll get to see her works in person! So what about you?

Friday Artfest: Joker from Super Flemish by Sacha Goldberg (2014)

Joker from Super Flemish by Sacha Goldberg (2014)

French Photographer Sacha Goldberg has a brilliant and discerning eye that seems to be capable of cutting through the traditional understanding of what a subject is supposed to represent and instead focuses on the inner core of the subject. In the Super Flemish series he has used the traditional Flemish style of portraiture that dominated the 17th century to expose the underlying nature of these larger-than-life, fictional figures. 

Of the series none captured my imagination more than this beautiful Joker. Like each of the other portraits in the series there is a sense that the Joker's real essence has been captured in a way that doesn't leave him a cartoonish oversimplification bereft of depth or meaning for the wider world. Instead everything about him carries a weight that keeps bring your attention back to him. His eyes burn past the artist. His hair hangs in stringy strands as though the effort of pulling them back were simply too much for him at this point. His posture both shows an attentive eye towards what he's supposed to be doing (his shoulders and hands) and a complete rejection of that tradition (his lower body slung over the edge of the chair). Just a brilliant piece of work and I can't wait to see more from Sacha Goldberg in the future.

Friday Artfest: Inglorious Bastards (c. 2009) by Alex Pardee

Inglorious Bastards (c. 2009) by Alex Pardee

This alternative poster for the magnificent Inglorious Bastards movie is the one I wish I had in my theater when I was running it. I've always thought that Alex's work is reminiscent of Ralph Steadman's in the best possible way. It's as though he's the natural extension of where Steadman's been heading for the last few decades. 

While I think this is an absolutely beautiful poster that sets a great tone for the movie (and a somewhat accurate one) I cannot imagine that it was a good advertisement for it. The Nazi getting his throat slit has thorns coming out of him as though he were some mutated plant spreading across the earth while the eagle-man, with his Star of David emblazoned handkerchief wrapped about his clenched fist, screams a war cry has little to do with what was actually on the screen. Still, if I had found this poster it would have been up in my office and proudly displayed to anyone who ever came to visit. 

Just a beautifully, cool poster.

Friday Artfest: That_Land Panel 1 (Reccuring Dream) by Pierre Ferrero (2014)

That_Land Panel 1 (2014) by Pierre Ferrero

That_Land panel 1 by Pierre Ferrero is the first panel in the larger Reccuring Dream series. Each panel in the series shows a single individual progressing through a series of events that lead to his death and his awakening in a new place, still himself, yet a stranger to his previous incarnation.

This first panel in the series exemplifies so much of why I really dig Pierre's work. The colors are vibrant and feel like I'm on the edge of a fevered dream. The lines are crisp and clean; and though you can easily tell what most everything in the image is supposed to be there is no clear hold on reality or its silly laws that will dictate what the image reveals to you. Then there are the shadows, which are only fleetingly given thought to, which seem to lend an other world feel to the overall image. 

Perhaps my favorite part of this beautiful panel is the man in the lower left-hand corner. His posture seems to foretell his future theft, which can be seen in panel 3, and the way he leers at the house whispers of his intent. Here is the main protagonist of the series and from this panel forward he directs his fate through his own actions, always making a terrible decision and forcing himself into worse situations time and time again.

Friday Artfest: La Princesse by La Machine (2008)

La Princesse (2008) by La Machine picture by Matthew Andrews

There is nothing quite as frightening as looking at a gigantic spider. At least that's what my wife would have said before she saw this gigantic mechanical spider that was produced by the french La Machine. Now she's dead and doesn't say anything. 

It's quite sad. 

I've digressed enough. I love performance pieces of art that are capable of capturing my imagination and making me think about what's possible in new ways, and this piece by La Machine certainly does that. The boney arms juxtaposed with the mechanical underpinnings give this spider the look of something straight from my nightmares where men with bone white skin and cocked eyes ride mechanical spiders as they chase me across the crowded streets of Atlanta and no one bats an eye. I love that it causes me to flinch when I see it splayed out and that it captavates my imagination.

La Princesse (2008) by La Machine picture by Matthew Andrews

These are the sort of mobile sculptures that make me salivate as I wait for the artists to release their next project. We need art that makes us excited and that slightly terrifies us. We need to be energized and to have our hearts pounding when start trying to best something this fantastic. 

La Princesse (2008) by La Machine picture by Matthew Andrews

This is the sort of thing that inspires the hell out of me. How about you?

[NSFW] Friday Artfest: Gurls! Sex! by R. Crumb

Gurls! Sex! by Robert Crumb

R. Crumb is one of those controversial artists that people either love or love to hate. Personally I love his artwork. This piece in particular features a lot of the things that make me such a fan. His line work is incredible and his ability to simulate various fabrics and colors of flesh just amazes me. Then when you look at the outlines of each woman's body they have this amazing strength to them that creates this sexual power that radiates off the page. Yet even in a strong piece such as this you can see the weakness of Crumb's art. The black woman's hand looks like it's malformed. The blonde woman has the stereotypically small head and the black woman speaks with a borderline offensive style of speech.

For Crumb's critics the overt sexuality of his women overcomes any appreciation for his artistic ability. That is a pity, because not only does Crumb have some of the best line work I've ever seen but the ease with which he pulls off satire and social commentary are unparalleled. If you'd like to find more of Crumb's work I highly recommend The Complete Crumb collections. In particular the first three Volumes are outstanding  (with Vol. 3 staring Fritz the Cat) and the ZAP Comics Collection is really worth picking up (even if they're very expensive).

Friday Artfest: Training of the New Girls by Valentine at the Moulin Rouge by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Training of the New Girls by Valentine at the Moulin Rouge by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Sometimes it's just nice to remember how wonderful it is to be alive and nothing does that more for me than Toulouse-Lautrec. This painting in particular just makes me ridiculously happy. From the haughty lines of the crowd to the delicate features of the woman in pink in the foreground. 

How about you?

Friday Artfest: Ark by Manabu Ikeda

Manabu Ikeda Ark (2005) [click the picture to make it bigger]

I love pen and ink art, and over  the last twenty years I've spent a lot of time working with that medium. Nothing I've ever done or seen has compared to Manabu Ikeda. His unparalleled work with ink has made my jaw drop and this piece in particular has forced me to rethink what I've done and what I'll do in the future. 

What do you all think about it?

Friday Artfest: Kabaret Zielonego Balonika by Kazimierz Sichulski

Kabaret Zielonego Balonika (1908) by Kazimierz Sichulski

I discovered this magnificent painting by Kazimierz Sichulski this week and couldn't get over how beautiful it was. Titled Kabaret Zielonego Balonika, or the Green Balloon Cabaret, was created in celebration of a cabaret that was targeted only for the cultural elite. As you can imagine by eliminating the openness that came with most performances the cabaret was quickly subject to all manner of dark rumors. 

Those who couldn't get into a performance of this play whispered that you could see everything from orgies to the most perverse style of performance you could imagine. With such rumors circling about the performance it was only natural that it's advocates would soon begin releasing works that celebrated the rumor far more than the fact. Songs, poems, essays, plays, and even paintings that presented a hedonistic explosion of creativity began showing up throughout the artistic community of the time. This fantastic painting with it's devils and debautchery is but one of the many - though it does happen to be one of my favorites.

What about you?

Friday Artfest: Astronaut by Robin F. Williams

Astronaut by Robin F. Williams

Madness is a relative term when it comes to art, but when you have the ability to capture the look of a man over the edge and down the rabbit hole you've come a long way, and this piece by Robin F. Williams shows an artist pushing beyond the boundaries of normalcy and straight on through to glory. Everything about this oil painting is magnificent. 

The vivid colors of the astronaut's helmet pop off the canvas and give them impression that he's stole some child's Easter basket. Yet what draws your attention to this piece and keeps you staring down the avenues of this madman's world are his eyes. Unlike other artist who are able to craft eyes that seem to look into you or to follow you Robin F. Williams is able to create a piece where the eye look through your outer shell and into the core of your being. 

It's as though the astronaut isn't mad but is actually beyond our understanding and has seen through this reality into another, far more palatable, reality. One where he isn't an object of scorn and derision but where he has stepped beyond the dreams and taken flight among the stars. He is a traveler from beyond waiting to take us further than we've ever been and it only our hang ups that keep us from seeing the truth.

Your thoughts?

Friday Artfest: The Autumn People by Frank Frazetta

The Autumn People by Frank Frazetta

This haunting piece by Frank Frazetta is the sort of work that will creep into your mind and kick around the childish nightmares of your youth. The bulbous nodes making their serpentine way up the tree's trunk seem to hold the ghoulish images of lost souls captured by the restless spirits rising from the misty ground below. The whole image seems to cast the tree both as it is, and as a terrifying image of death itself holding watch over some long forgotten graveyard. 

The world seems to warp around the tree. Indeed even light seems to explode in the deadly ecstasy of death's embrace. Then there's the rising corpses. I imagine that Frazetta had seen Night of the Living Dead and decided that it just wasn't something worth thinking about. So he created a nightmarish hell that once it rose from the dead wouldn't falter, would stumble about like stiff necked children, but would come swift like a corpse' breath. 

Your thoughts?

Friday Artfest: Moonrise Kingdom from the Archicine Series by Federico Babina

Moonrise Kingdom from the Archicine Series by Federico Babina

There isn't a lot of symbolism in this piece and not a lot to interpret as far as I'm concerned. It's just the most beautiful, stripped down, version of the house from the movie Moonrise Kingdom. I just enjoy the hell out of it.

Thoughts?

Friday Artfest: Rec Room by Jamian Juliano-Villani

Rec Room by Jamina Juliano-Villani

I love this painting by Jamian Juliano-Villani. It just strikes me as an amazing piece of work. 

In the window we can see the surreal sunset of a world that holds nothing for the two women. It's bleak and lifeless in spite of the brilliant red sun that dominates the horizon and even the clouds hold no motion. Yet when we move into the room everything seems to have some power to it. The curtains, with their weird pattern seem to flow and the jukebox is almost audible as it spins its latest album. Then there are the rooms behind the women. Behind the black woman is a room that seems cool and collected; while the half naked woman in the foreground has a room in vibrant color, as though life were too much for her. 

Indeed, as we look at the two women we can see the rooms they stand before reflected in them. The black woman on the right has a cool and calculating look to her that seems to say what the fuck is wrong with you bitch. Her compatirot has none of that power in her posture or even in her attitude. Her hair is disheveled and she couldn't even be bothered to put underwear on to speak with the black woman. She doesn't even have the proud look of her black counter part and has taken on a more bestial appearance - like a worn out jackass that has reached the end of its willingness to comply with life's demands.

What do you all think?

Friday Artfest: The Interview by Patrick Krzyzanowski

The Interview by Patrick Krzyzanowski

This watercolor by Patrick Krzyzanowski of wrestlers in the middle of a tremendously impossible moment seems to say everything about my childhood. While I recognize Tatonka on the bottom and Booker T at the top the middle two wrestlers are lost to me. I know that I normally talk about the meaning of these paintings but this one is pretty self-explanatory and too damned awesome for words. 

I just can't get over the fact that he did all that with watercolors.