We’re not in Kansas anymore. French artist Laurent Monnet creates warped digital illustrations that decompose the figure into flat applications of mind-bending shape and texture. It’s clear that Monnet, a student of the traditional arts by day, let’s himself go wild with these. I like how they simultaneously recede and melt while bouncing away from their muted backgrounds in sharp contrast. Definitely interested to see what this guys continues to do going forward.
“My goal with this project is to create striking juxtapositions between the ruins of modern civilization and a futuristic ecological utopia.”
Brooklyn-based artist/illustrator Nick Pedersen -whom we featured in the 6th installment of our limited edition book series- recently finished a new batch of work entitled Ultima. The loosely narrative series depicts a post-apocalyptic environment in which conflicts between modern and early cultures, and man and the natural world are given prominent attention. In the world that Pedersen has conjured, overgrown cities (though absent of their typical, busy inhabitants) are full of life. The lush, green environments project a vibrancy that’s really appealing. But the digital works have their quiet aspects too- deer slowly pick their way through the brush; and stoic, masked tribesmen explore their bizarre surroundings. Check out more images from Ultima after the jump.
”Choosing to focus on natural elements that are not commonly appreciated or used for decorative purposes, my artwork is connected to the ‘wildness’ in nature even as it is taming it by the creation of formal patterning.”
Drawing on her background in textile design, Lisa A. Frank creates large-scale “repeating patterns”, “tapestry-like designs”, and “floor to ceiling ‘sections’” from her own nature photography. The artist’s works (some of which are composed of over 100 digital layers) obviously draw on a strong connection to nature and its various trappings: flaura, fauna, etc. Such elements are inherently wild and unpredictable. So Frank’s application of computerized media and pattern work, logical processes very unlike the mysterious mechanisms that govern the natural world, sets up a really interesting dynamic. And, like in the natural environment, there’s a lot going on in these works. The effort really shows and I could spend a long time looking at each one.
Great stuff. Definitely worth a click past the jump to check out more images of the artist’s work, which draws material from all four seasons.
Illinois-based artist Chad Wys does a lot of different things. He’s worked with collage, sculpture, textiles, aerosol, digital media, and more. A lot of his w0rk manipulates and completely shuffles the tone of established, familiar forms. Strategically removing aspects of canonical portraiture, painting a kitschy duck sculpture in pastels, and stenciling text elements onto benign porcelain and china are a few methods he’s employed to mess with our brains. But this type of art isn’t produced in a malicious way. It’s just the artist’s way of getting us to see things the way he sees them for once. (via)
Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, of Baltimore, produces sculpture, collage (see above), and illustration. But the majority of his fine arts output is done through digital media. His digital compositions aren’t really like any I’ve seen before. They combine a far out, cosmic sensibility with soft, colorful gradients and textures. I could meditate on these for a while. Some of Alvarez’ works are so simple, yet they maintain a lot of gravity, as though they hold something really important just beyond your grasp. And the creepy smiley faces he repeats throughout his work really get to me. Click past the jump for more collage, couches floating in space, and a workbench installation.
Interesting take on the female form from Floti. Grainy neon colors flow through the figures as though you were looking at them through an infrared camera (except with more interesting color variation). With a glitchy, electronic vibe, these digital works nicely illustrate some of the darker, more ambiguous aspects of the Digital Age. I don’t want to say too much about this project, which seems to be in its infancy, but the source images are altered so heavily that it’s hard to contextualize all of the pictures, which allows for a nice exercise in attaching one’s own narratives and ideas to the works. Hope to see more of these mysterious ladies in the future. (via)
A little while ago, Andreas Frank took a dive down to the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, a United States missile tracking ship that was recently sunk 7 miles off the coast of Key West, Florida in order to create an artificial reef. While he was down there, Frank, who is a successful commercial photographer, took pictures of the wreck. He used the resulting images as the basis for a series of digitally manipulated photos depicting various underwater happenings on the sunken ship. The cool part: he then staged an exhibition of the photos on the deck of the ship! Divers took in the exhibit in full scuba gear. I’m not sure that bobbing up and down under water is the best way to take in Frank’s work, but it is kinda cool. See more photos from the Vandenberg- Life Below the Surface show after the jump, as well as a video of divers checking out the pictures while down by the ship.
Philadelphia-based Armando Veve‘s impressive body of work shows his ability, and eagerness, to explore several different drawing methods, from the naive to the refined. In doing so, he leaves no doubt to the viewer that he makes a choice, and executes that choice with clear intent. He doesn’t seem to have many limitations. He also dabbles in ceramics, curation, and digital abstractions. At this pace, his work will only get better and better, and endless gifts will be bestowed upon us just for looking.
