Adam Gnade’s (say it “guh-nah-dee”) describes his work as “a series of books and records that share characters and themes”, in which fiction and song mingle in an attempt “to compile a vast, detailed, interconnected, personal history of contemporary American life.” Solid theory, no? What this looks like in practice is equally as exciting.
First there’s “The Darkness to the West”, Gnade’s 42-page novella zine which you can scope out at our favorite zine distro, Microcosm. Then there’s “Hymn California”, a full-length novel that wound up a bestseller at Powell’s Books. Gnade also records cassettes on a 4-rack machine and has a CD called “The Wild Homesick”, which he calls a “strange, warm, troubled summer record full of doom and affirmations.” So much good work emanating from one soul is always an inspiration.
Seth Papac makes jewelry that looks like sculpture. Or jewelry that looks like a miniature primitive drawing rendered in 3D. Or jewelry that looks like an alien artifact. In short, he makes jewelry that looks like no other jewelry you’ve seen. These are more like talismans than, say, necklaces or bracelets— objects the would seem to bestow superhuman powers on their wearer.
Los Angeles-based Derek Albeck is 90% deaf in one ear, enjoys the belligerent and skilled music of Lightning Bolt and is most productive early in the morning and late at night. He would describe his work, if asked by a stranger, as “drawings from phorographs of family and surroundings. The drawings are somewhat autobiographical and serve as memory maps of shared stories and experiences.”
This is all gleaned from the artist’s interview at Fecal Face, which we recommend checking out as well as his website. Albeck’s got some neat prints, books and zines on sale on there, and a whole bunch of crazily meticulous drawings that we think are just great.
As if it weren’t rad enough that artist Joe Biel names Hieronymus Bosch and Bruegel as influences, he has to go and paint the most amazing primates we’ve ever seen. The elegance and detail of the paintings puts them on par with nature documentaries in terms of realism, but they’ve also got a subtle and alert creepiness that coexists with a strangely tranquil quality. Zoinks! These monkeys make us feel weird in the best way possible.
Ethan Murrow’s technical skill is unmatched by everything except, maybe, his imagination. Murrow’s graphite drawings on paper are perfectly rendered narrative explosions with a pinch of goofiness and always an incredible title. (Two samples:Best way to protect your garden from the goddamn crows? Hire a marionette and An iron roller coaster rose out of the tundra and quite a few wondered why but no one said a word.)
The artist describes the figures he draws as “doomed to failure and prone to dysfunction,” and notes that “I mean to do this with a nod to Charlie Chaplain, who understood that idiocy is inevitable and our own role in it is assured.” Makes sense. File this one under “beautiful, irreverent fatalism”.
With certain cultural products you can tell how much you’re going to love them based only on a few key words from their description. City of Spies is a good example of this phenomenon. Words and phrases mentioned in relationship to the graphic novel include “World War II spy tale”, “intrigue”, “espionage” and “German conspiracy”.
Written by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan and illustrated by Pascal Dizin, the book combines super-precise illustration with shiver-inducing mysteries, historical atmospherics and a cast of amiable, adventure-hungry characters. To be honest, we’re fans of anything that involves the kid detective genre and/or having hunches, so this book is the answer to our most fervent prayers. It doesn’t hurt that the tale has also been likened to a Tintin book directed by Hitchcock. Dream team!
Lucy Joy is an illustrator whose curlicued images of people and landscapes we can’t get enough of. Joy also lends her talents to greeting cards, hand-lettered pieces and textiles (ooh!), all of which make equally appropriate vehicles for her distinctive style.
“My work is largely driven by my love of eye catching objects and surface decoration,” she writes. “I tend to enjoy myself most when working in fine detail and try to approach drawing with an uninhibited and non mechanical technique. I like wobbly lines.”
Subscribe to RSS