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 these posts:
June 6, 2009 | New Illustration | by Gerry Mak 
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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
January 24, 2009 | New Events | by Casper Johansson |
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
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
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
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
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]
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.
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]
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]
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]
There’s a lot I could say about South African artist Robin Rhode. But to simply say that he’s endlessly cool pretty much sums it up. In fact, he’s so cool that Nike’s been accused of ripping off one of his pieces for a television ad (can you say plagiarism: just don’t do it?) Read more
I generally don’t like t-shirts so much, but I really like the ones at The Martinez Design Project, the Etsy store for designer Leslie Martinez. Her work transcends the glut of silkscreened clip art in the DIY aesthetic.
Having originally sprung from the Shaky Isles (otherwise known as New Zealand), I can appreciate the humour in the New Zealand cartoon series, Bro Town, the first homegrown animated series to screen during local prime time. It’s simply brilliant, a real play on the ‘thuck’ accent and small town ways of our Kiwi brethren.
Australia’s largest private museum will soon have some super futuristic and luxurious accommodations for guests. These awesome structures, designed by Nonda Katsilidis, definitely aim to reflect the art housed in the museum with their hyper modernist look.
We have a thumping track by Chicago-based rocker Tom Fuller [above] available for free download in the Music Download section of Lost At E Minor (pssst, it’s in third column of the site), along with new tracks by Five O’Clock Heroes, Fujiya & Miyagi, and Madlib. Read more
I almost forgot — metal is really about being drunk, pissed, offensive, and satanic. I have Bestial Mockery to thank for this. Their no-frills black thrash is barebones and snarling without being too dead-pan serious. These guys from Sweden are clearly having a blast worshiping the Dark One in the tradition of old-school bands like Venom, early Bathory, and Sodom. Nothing too original here, but it’s fun as hell.
She may have designed for Ralph Lauren, but it’s hard to believe that Brandy Lunsford’s first two collections have been of this calibre. Read more
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Here are a couple awesome pieces by Matt Leines that were recently on display in the Doubting Thomases exhibit at Nudashank gallery in Baltimore. Gives me ideas for Halloween. Read more
Nerd-attack! Man, this TARDIS zipper robe is so much cooler than any Star Wars crap people are hawking this days. This is for the true gangsta nerd.
Honest Food Preparation Instructions
Yes, we’ve all been there: the chinese food from last week that still looks edible amongst the bare surrounds of an empty fridge. But really, we shouldn’t. Just let it be. Or College Humor will expose you! Read more
Baltimore Mural by Josh Van Horne
My friend Josh Van Horne, a local Baltimore artist, did this amazing mural in our neighborhood that depicts the history of this warehouse-laden area.
Pitched as ‘Ulterior Motives in Contemporary Art’, Disorder Disorder is running until November 14 at Penrith Regional Gallery. It’ll be well worth the trip out west of Sydney: the Australian, Japanese, American and European cast reads like a warriors of street art roundup and includes Mike Giant, Ed Templeton, Anthony Lister [artwork above], Ozzie Wright, and Jonathan Zawada. Read more
New York-based artist Suzuki Mariko has made this handmade felt doll set of a mom and happy baby bear sitting on a sofa. At just three inches wide and two inches high, it’s perfect for your side table. It can even watch TV with you. Aw! We have it for sale in the Lost At E Minor store. Read more
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