Spring Cleaning of the Mind: Surreal Art Update

"QUANTUM SHOT" #556
Link - by A. Abrams

When you need to make an existential omelet, ask these guys for a recipe

Since our last "Surreal Art Update" showcase we've seen enough mind-blowing and creative work to propel us in ecstasy to the Moon and back; these artists - bless their free-wheeling imagination - can make the dead wake up and wail in exasperation "what is this I see!? Explain it to me!..." Sorry, surreal art by definition cannot be explained. However -

If you let it to work its magic, the best surreal art can sweep away the cobwebs of the mind and give you a visual kick from which you may not soon recover.

(art courtesy Alexey Andreev)

We'll start with lesser known but very impressive work by Alexey Andreev, by his exclusive permission. Industrial angst, Japanese anime sensibilities, and general sense of epic irrationality - all these are good starting ingredients for our omelet, enjoy:

"The Crossing" and other Laputa-like environments

He calls it "Hermetic Art", so there must be deep existential meaning in these images... Or just consider them unused backgrounds from "Half-Life 2" -

Actually, these are possible backgrounds for his animated "Kin-Dza-Dza" feature

Soulless cities are doomed, multiple times over -

"The Trap" - speaking about cobwebs of the mind...

A different kind of the Decepticon... and some wicked new species:

(all art courtesy Alexey Andreev)

Here is what the full Moon tide brings...

Robert Steven Connett visions are quite dark and very detailed. His worlds are magical, if a bit frightening:

"Night Trawler"

His work reminds us of the surreal covers of Richard M. Powers in the 1950-1960s (mixed with H. R. Giger); publishers take note, these could make great book covers:

"Dreaming Machines" and "Dreaming by the City of Glass"

"Emphatics" and "Alternative Fuel Source #1"

Does anyone remember Hannes Bok? These look similar:

"Idiot Collection", all images courtesy Robert Steven Connett

"Photo-shoppery" not for the faint of heart

"I feel kind of bad," says Kevin O'Mara in regards to the image below, "I had no idea..." -

"When I first looked up, I thought it was floating" (left image) and "Red Wine Afternoon" (with nautilus) on the right:

images credit: Kevin O'Mara

Erik Johansson's portfolio is worth checking out for more looney and surreal images:

Another indictment of urbanism gone bad:

(images credit: Erik Johansson)

The League of Extraordinary Surrealists

From Colombia to Poland, the movement to shake reality with mind-expanding artwork is spreading fast. Witness "To The Shadows" by Marcela Bolivar from Colombia. Incredible, intricate, baroque - all these descriptions apply:

(image credit: Marcela Bolivar)

"L'Ataraxie", here is the meaning of this word: "It signifies the detached and balanced state of mind that shows that a person has transcended the material world and is now harvesting all the comforts of philosophy." Well, see for yourself -

(image credit: Marcela Bolivar)

Antonina from Belarus creates conceptual paintings that look deep into the human soul and phobias:

"Desperation" (left image) and "Unbearable Lightness of Being" (right) -

"Phobia" (everyone has some) - this painting reminds us of the latest conceptual series by Michael Whelan:

(images credit: Antonina)

Andrey from Ukraine gives us "Melt Silence" and "CORE"...

(images credit: Andrey)

"Conscience" by Sergei Kharlamov (also from Ukraine) - crooked, tortured conscience indeed:

(image credit: Sergei Kharlamov)

And a phantasmagorical horse made from gears: "Lonely" in a blasted landscape -

"Lonely", art courtesy Sylwia Skubis, Poland

Great minds think alike

What is it with paving streets with sky? Must be a recurring dream among artist types, sort of like a dream of being in an elevator and blasting past the last floor into space. First image is the winner of Scandinavian Photo contest, by Erik Johansson. The image under it is by Michael Borgulat, I'm sure they arrived independently at the same idea: