Alessandro Ripane’s Humorously Grotesque Illustrations

All that should look solid melts right off in the compositions of Alessandro Ripane. Many of his characters have a mass of dripping liquid with plants protruding in all directions in lieu of real faces. Other figures sprout plants from their limbs while their gleaming white bones peek through. Yet these morbid compositions manage to keep a whimsical twist; in some, giant pink ice cream cones drip heavily. Genoa-born Ripane remembers collecting comic books and volumes on wild animals, a habit that definitely informs his strange imagery. Each vignette gives the sensation that the viewer is walking in on the strange characters. A couple cuddling becomes a strange mass of plants, melting parts and mangled flesh. But not all is lost: Ripane makes sure to let one of the figures keep his socks and shoes on. Part Surrealism, part satire and all visceral, Ripane's works leave few parts intact but offer plenty of visual gems.

All that should look solid melts right off in the compositions of Alessandro Ripane. Many of his characters have a mass of dripping liquid with plants protruding in all directions in lieu of real faces. Other figures sprout plants from their limbs while their gleaming white bones peek through. Yet these morbid compositions manage to keep a whimsical twist; in some, giant pink ice cream cones drip heavily. Genoa-born Ripane remembers collecting comic books and volumes on wild animals, a habit that definitely informs his strange imagery. Each vignette gives the sensation that the viewer is walking in on the strange characters. A couple cuddling becomes a strange mass of plants, melting parts and mangled flesh. But not all is lost: Ripane makes sure to let one of the figures keep his socks and shoes on. Part Surrealism, part satire and all visceral, Ripane’s works leave few parts intact but offer plenty of visual gems.

Topics

Alessandro Ripane, digital art, drawing, illustration

drawing, hellion gallery, Mitsuya Watanabe

April 30, 2015

Mitsuya Watanabe's new drawings take on an almost collage-like effect. The artist draws lightly shaded forms with graphite that contrast strongly with their dark backgrounds. Some of the figures have white outlines around them, flattening the scene and making them look like cut-outs, which adds to their surreal, dreamlike quality. Watanabe has a solo show coming up at Hellion Gallery in Portland titled "Immaculate Eve," opening on May 7. A series of new drawings filled with floating objects and bizarre juxtapositions, Watanabe likens these works to interpretations of dreams.

Rachel Fagiano’s Drawings Overflow with Fanciful Mushroom Growths

drawing, illustration, Rachel Fagiano

January 2, 2015

Rachel Fagiano subsumes her characters in copious fungal growths that tower over them like enormous headpieces. The artist draws with a combination of micropigment ink and graphite on paper. Her colorful, trippy-looking mushrooms stand out against the white backgrounds. Fagiano's characters seem to be in constant conflict with one another, though it's unclear for what reason. They pinch, hit, and choke each other in a blind rage — perhaps hinting at the senselessness of violence. Her work evokes that of Chinese artist Zhou Fan, whom we covered on the blog previously here.

Kevin Townsend Covers Entire Spaces with Organic Chalk Drawings

chalk art, drawing, Kevin Townsend

January 13, 2016

There's an innocence and fleeing quality about Kevin Townsend's organic chalk drawings that cover entire spaces, an act that he says liberates him from the confines of the artist's studio. We've featured many chalk artists on our blog over the years, but Townsend, who is also a teacher, uses this child's mark making tool specifically for its impermanence. The Boston based artist finds himself captivated by the idea of how time and our perception of it helps to shape our identities, as well as our relationship to overlooked urban environments.

Paul Paetzel’s Sci-Fi-Influenced, Absurd Illustrations

illustration, Mixed Media, Paul Paetzel

April 23, 2018

Sci-fi-tinged nostalgia runs rampant in the illustrations of Paul Paetzel. The Berlin-based artist has a knack for both narrative and humor, whether it’s his comics, illustrations, or stray personal work. Paetzel has been part of the Berlin collective known as Biografiktion, also featuring artists Till Hafenbrak and Ana Albero.

Alessandro Ripane’s Humorously Grotesque Illustrations

Mitsuya Watanabe’s Drawings Play with Surreal Juxtapositions in “Immaculate Eve”

Rachel Fagiano’s Drawings Overflow with Fanciful Mushroom Growths

Kevin Townsend Covers Entire Spaces with Organic Chalk Drawings

Paul Paetzel’s Sci-Fi-Influenced, Absurd Illustrations

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List

Follow us on our social networks

Shop

Subscribe

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List