Though the creatures of Claudio Romo are bizarre and at times, frightening, the illustrator’s distinct linework gives each a certain elegance. The Chile-based artist has produced a number of books carrying his strange monsters and plantlife (among them, the beautifully titled “The Book of Imprudent Flora”). Through often carrying no specific timeline, his practice has also extended into the futuristic, as evidenced below.
Blending horror, humor, and fantasy, Peter Ferguson shows new work in a show at Roq La Rue titled “Mock Robin.” Running Nov. 2 through Nov. 28, the show places monsters, strange machines, and other strange elements in scenes that traverse history. The venue says his work recalls “Dutch Renaissance painting, old National Geographic photography, and 18th century British Naval history.” Ferguson was last featured on HiFructose.com here.
Redd Walitzki‘s fantastical paintings offers a vision of people fully engrossed into the natural world, with magical implications. In a show at Haven Gallery, “The Midsommar Dream,” the artist calls upon ancient folktales and dreamlike visions. Walitzki was last mentioned on HiFructose.com here.
David Jien’s recent work blends both futuristic and fantastical visions, with the artist’s usual eye for detail. While his creatures may recall sci-fi storybooks, there’s humorous and disconcerting notes hidden in the corners.
Serbian artist Davor Gromilovic draws and paints fantastical scenes, mixing influences and moods with both a sense of wonder and danger. He’s able to navigate all eras with an absorbing sense of detail, featuring Cro-Magnon characters and futuristic swashbucklers. All have a tinge of humor within kinetic, theatrical displays.
Australian artist Rodrigo Luff‘s paintings of women in luminous realms take us back to a more innocent time before Eve bit into the forbidden apple. Previously featured here on our blog, the Sydney based artist finds his inspiration in an array of artists, science and nature, from the electric colors of the Northern Lights to fantastical worlds created by Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. Luff’s goddess-like characters are not visitors into this magical place, but feel right at home among flocks of owls, deer and other creatures of the forest. “I’m interested in the way we have always sought a connection to the natural world, and how that liminal, mysterious and wild realm reflects those uncharted dimensions within our psyche,” he says.