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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Tomer Hanuka’s post-apocalyptic visions are imbued with a real sense of pathos. His characters seem at once emboldened and vulnerable, wrestling demons cloaked in shades of blue, red and green.
Instead of demolishing the old Paddington Reservoir, architects TZG have incorporated into the design a new outdoor public garden in Paddington, Sydney. The results are stunning, with the nineteenth century structures providing an amazing starting point. Looking less like a garden and more like an overgrown ancient city, with the remnants of historic walls and vaults, this new public space is well worth frequent visits.
If you thought that fashion and science had nothing in common, think again. Now we creative types have little time for heavy discussion about scientific facts, so we’ll get straight to the point. Emerging Sydney designer Dion Lee has interpreted ‘mitosis’, the process where cells divide, in an impressive first collection that’s already gaining a cult following. Read more
Emma McNally creates abstract graphite drawings inspired by cartography, maps, and musical notation. Occasionally her pieces suggest depth and dimension, while some of her other pieces seem like star charts for imaginary galaxies.
Fans of Australian buzzsaw rock trio, The Vines, might like to check out our sister site, My Secret Playlist, where drummer Hamish Rosser has written about eight songs he’s digging right now. There’s some interesting choices in there including The Strokes, James Brown, and, gulp, Joan Jett.
Oh, ok, so now I’ve seen it all. Or perhaps, in this case, I’m not seeing enough. Japanese game shows are so much fun. Seriously.
I had the pleasure of seeing Duran Duran play a few weeks back in the balmy drizzle of New York’s Central Park. I always thought the guys had more cheek than they were ever given credit for. But don’t be fooled! For a band so rooted in the immediacy of disposable pop, they wrote some timeless songs, none more so than The Chauffeur.
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1970s and 80s Soviet Union buildings
Cambodian born photographer Frederic Chaubin is the editor of French magazine Citizen K. His photo series on bizarre buildings built in the former Soviet Union during the 1970s and 80s is absolutely fascinating. 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
Amazing cake designs by Charm City Cakes
Baltimore company Charm City Cakes produces the most innovative wedding and party cakes on the market. Inspiration for these creative bakers comes from everywhere: art, fabric, furniture, architecture, landscapes, science, and music, and each cake is individually designed to match your personality, and the theme of the occasion you are celebrating. Don’t miss these cakey engineering masterpieces. Read more
Good thing Kris Kuksi channelled the trauma of growing up with an alcoholic stepfather, his disdain for ‘the typical American life and pop culture’, and his fascination with the macabre into obsessive, baroque assemblages, paintings, and drawings. Read more
Alex Passapera’s dizzying pen and ink drawings are cascades of images melting into one another, often looking like contorting, mutating creatures spewing blood-like ink splatters. Read more
Thanks to Sony Australia, four Lost At E Minor readers will win personal audio prizes, including the new 8GB Walkman S series video MP3 player and the MDRXB500 Extra Bass headphones. Read more
Designed by Andrea Corson, the Caviars Round Top Ring, is made from sterling silver. The Caviars sparkle like diamonds, sitting upon an organic band. We have it for sale in the Lost At E Minor online store. Read more
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