Mark Ryden
Taking inspiration from children’s fables, Californian painter Mark Ryden spins these characters and landscapes into ornately detailed, flawless and wonderfully disturbing images. His pieces evoke childhood memories, then through a meshing together of different subject matter plays in the viewer’s subconscious, twisting what is remembered in new and disquieting directions. Serene, almost childlike characters are mixed with elements such as crosses, bloody chunks of meat, trains sets and beautiful clothing.
The surrealist artworks of Mark Ryden first come to prominence during the 1990s at a time when paintings were making a comeback in the USA. He’s inspired by past masters such as Bosch, Bruegel and Ingres and a highly developed level of craft is obvious in his work, which has been exhibited worldwide. Similar artists include: Chris Buzelli, David Chung and Trenton Doyle Hancock.
If you like Mark Ryden, then you'll also dig this:
October 9, 2006 | New Art | by Zolton |
Californian painter Mark Ryden creates fantastic storybook artworks which are technically brilliant and disturbingly – yet beautifully – surrealistic. ‘I often find archetypes in old children’s books and toys, so these things make up a large part of my collection. I am attracted to things that evoke memories from childhood’. [more about Mark Ryden]
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April 8, 2007 | New Art | by Zolton |
American artist Trenton Doyle Hancock creates elaborate fantasy worlds where colour collides and anything seems possible. Says Wikipedia: ‘The characters which populate his [works] include the Mounds, half-animal, half-plant creatures, which are preyed upon by evil beings called vegans’. Strange but true. And very, very good. [see also Mark Ryden]
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June 25, 2007 | New Art | by Zolton |
I’ve always had this urge to experience the great American outdoors, that picturesque world that I’ve seen in countless John Candy reruns. Yes, I’d stay in a rustic log cabin, surrounded by chipmunks and coyotes and sing John Denver songs by the fireplace. Hmmm. Maybe I’ll make it happen one day. Maybe? Nah. [painting by Mark Ryden]
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June 26, 2007 | New Art | by Casper Johansson |
I love the detail and the sense of escapism in Ray Caesar’s digitally rendered artworks. His work reminds me a little of Mark Ryden’s, without the slabs of meat and the lofty price tags.
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November 26, 2007 | New Art | by Gerry Mak |
David Chung’s paintings are the result of an over-stimulated, pop-culture saturated imagination vomiting onto the canvas. Candy-colored monkeys, bears, snails, and monsters frolic, fight, and fornicate in a fluorescent snot-drenched wonderland. [see also the artwork of Mark Ryden]
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January 3, 2008 | New Photography | by Gerry Mak |
Loretta Lux’s photographs of children are ever-so-subtly creepy, reminiscent of Mark Ryden’s paintings. She tweeks proportions, depth, color, and lighting in such a way that make her subjects look painted. Read more
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June 16, 2008 | New Design | by Derrick Stembridge |
Nagi Noda is one busy lady. Although a native of Tokyo, she spent five years in America and has worked up an impressive body of work. In addition to the rad hair hats an MFA would drool over, she’s directed videos for the Scissor Sisters and done work for both Laforet and Nike, amongst others. Read more
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October 3, 2008 | New Illustration | by Gerry Mak |
I saw pretty rad illustration in a recent Newsweek of a two-headed snake. I think it was an article about the economy, but I honestly can’t remember. I remembered the artist, though, and looked him up online. Chris Buzelli does some pretty great paintings that liven up articles in Men’s Health, Rolling Stone, and many others. They kind of remind me of Mark Ryden, but with a little more restraint. Read more
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January 24, 2009 | New Events | by Casper Johansson 
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Alice in Wonderland-obsessives take note: the fantastical and whimsically surreal artist, Mark Ryden, will be signing copies of his latest book, The Tree Show, at the MOCA store in Los Angeles on Jan 31st. Read more
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June 6, 2009 | New Illustration | by Gerry Mak |
I’m not so much into Chet Zar’s comic-book and noir-inspired stuff, but his more fantastical and straight-forward horror images, many of which remind me of a combination between Mark Ryden and H.R. Giger, really appeal to the metalhead in me. Read more
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Photographer Daniel Augschöll is a founding member and editor of Ahorn Magazine, an online publication about contemporary photography. These works are from his latest series, Celestial Planisphere.
Hmmm, I don’t know if it’s the extra strong coffee I’m gulping down, or that faintest slither of feel good sunshine that’s creeping through the blinds, but this song is making me feel mildly euphoric, and that kinda works right now. Play it loud. Play it through headphones. And imagine you’re decked out in day glo polyester with a dramatic burst of velvet lining. Damn, my feet just can’t stop from dancin’.
People tend to think we illustrators carry around our sketchbooks everywhere. A confession: I don’t. That is one of the reason why I love looking at other illustrator’s sketchbooks. Virginia-based Tin Salamunic’s sketchbook tells me a bit about an everyday life in Richmond. And his obsession for cars. Read more
Nestled in the hills of Napa Valley, Bardessono is the newest creation of eco-developer Phil Sherburne and architect Ron Mitchell. Completed just seven weeks ago, the luxurious inn and spa is currently pursuing Leed certification and includes rammed earth walls, water treatment systems, and solar and geothermal energy systems. The buildings were built to pay homage to the land, and include recycled cypress wood for the windows, doors, and floors. Read more
There was a time, many moons ago, when I would only listen to bands off New Zealand’s Flying Nun label. Yup, I would strap myself into a comfy chair, put my headphones on and, armed with a chunk of chocolate coated Peanut Slab and a can of L&P, soak up album after album of wonderfully self-indulgent low-fi melancholy. Read more
is it TooLate? Is it? Never! This Italian-made watch has a beautiful minimal design, comes in lots of colors, is water proof and goes for less than $30. Hot damn! 10,000 of them were sold in the first ten days after their release and half a million in it’s first year of distribution. Apparently the Italians are wearing two or three of them together as part of some bizarre fashion clique. Wonder if the rest of the world will catch on?
I’m enjoying reading the insight and witticisms of the Indie Breakfast Club blog, which casts a wide net over entrepreneurship and what it means to be one and still have a conscience.
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Richmond-based graffiti artist Chip7 has a style that is at once urban and also vaguely tribal with their crude lines and rich patterns. Read more
Check out Mike Stimpson’s Lego reinterpretations of classic photographs. Stimpson’s version of Malcolm Browne’s iconic 1963 photograph of the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc is particularly twisted. Read more
Illustrator Timothy Karpinski sews painted paper together to create his images, giving them a classic look. Read more
Charlie Immer’s pastel-pallete sometimes obfuscates the gory violence in his surreal images. At other times, it heightens the gut-wrenching and visceral effect of his work. Read more
There is not a medium that UK illustrator Lizzy Stewart cannot wrap around her little finger to make the most beautiful, whimsical images. Read more
Wolfmother. Rock n roll. Mystical lyrics. Heavy riffs. They have a new album out, Cosmic Egg, and we have five copies to giveaway, along with their debut album. To enter, tell us your favorite Wolfmother song and the city you live in. Yo! Two fingered salute. Read more
Cassettes Won’t Listen is the brainchild of New York-based, multi-instrumentalist and producer Jason Drake and is the latest of an abundance of musical monikers he has realised over the years. Small-Time Machine is Cassettes Wont Listen’s first-ever physical release and is available for US$23.70.
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