Vaughan Oliver, the artist behind so many memorable LP covers from 4AD, has died at 62. Bands in his body of work include The Breeders, Pixies, Scott Walker, TV on the Radio, Lush, Cocteau Twins, Modern English, The Mountain Goats, and several others. His sensibility played an enormous role in the public-facing aesthetic of the label, from his entrance to the label in the 1980s on. He produced the art for every Pixies album so far.
Illustrator Selin Çınar crafts unexpected elements tucked inside familiar forms. Creating work under the moniker “Axstone,” the artist is able to move between the worlds of exhibiting and character design. She also implements varying techniques in the pieces, with elements of pointillism, clean linework, and a less controlled approach sometimes appearing in the same piece. Çınar is a member of the illustrator collective Krüw.
The stirring work of South African artist Gerhard Human combines an off-kilter palette and a comic sensibility. In the current set of work titled “All we ever wanted was everything” at Supersonic Art, the artist shares his latest explorations.
The work of Cezar Berje straddles that difficult line between utterly absorbing and repulsive. In his illustrations, he uses his immense talents with color and detail to create portraits that warrant study. His projects for companies like Netflix and the Hangloose surf brand show how this sensibility can adapt. Berje has a particular knack for recontextualizing pop icons, absorbing them into his colorful, unsettling world.
Calgary-born, Los Angeles-based artist/graphic designer Geoff McFetridge deconstructs everyday images and reimagines them in simpler, yet captivating studies. He uses elements of logo design and commercial inspiration to create these acrylic paintings. McFetridge was last mentioned on HiFructose.com here.
While the power of Steelberg’s work may elude younger viewers, there are several generations of film and TV fans that are immediately engrossed by his Instagram feed. The California artist creates VHS box treatments for today’s films, television shows, and other products. The result is often pitch-perfect, complete with stickers, wear and tear, and convincing text styles.