Jon MacNair
The work of artists Dan Barry and Jon MacNair come together for “Captive Illusions” at Stranger Factory this month. “Together,” the gallery says, “the duo create a show that sends the viewer into surreal and playful worlds with characters that come to life in warm color schemes.” Barry was last featured on HiFructose.com here, and MacNair was most recently mentioned here.
In Brian Blomerth’s recently released book, “Bicycle Day,” the illustrator chronicles the first-ever ingestion of LSD by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann. The tale combines a loyal account of the 1943 acid trip with Blomerth’s beloved style, which has been featured in previous comics and zines—as well as album covers and other outlets.
Illustrator Chrigel Farner has a knack for chaos. His enormous scenes move between writhing armies of characters or solitary giants. The Berlin artist’s practice encompasses editorial illustration, comics, and gallery art. Farner’s style recalls both the wild characters of classical animation and the detailed world-building of Moebius.
Even when taken out of narrative context, the illustrations of Nicolás Arispe captivate viewers. The Buenos Aires artist has crafted comics, books, album covers, magazine illustrations, animation storyboard, and much more. He’s known, in particular, for his anthropomorphic characters and fantastical settings, all tackling decidedly human and emotional stories.
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.
In the series “Marquees Tropica,” illustrator Ardneks crafted works “reflecting different stages” of his personal life, with each completed with a single song on repeat. The result is a set of vibrant, wild works packed with details to decipher. The artist’s practice has included album covers for multiple acts, but this series takes a decidedly intimate slant, as compared to those pieces. The above work, titled “COASTAL JUiCEBOX” was made alongside the tune
“風の回廊(コリドー)” by Tatsuro Yamashita.