Tag

Surrealism

Browsing

We’ve long been fans of art and motion graphics that convey a mood versus always needing a strong narrative.

Indeed, these “experiments” often allow artists and designers to explore the crevices of their imaginations in a way that a traditional story might now.

Plateaus have their own planes

That seems to be the case with Argentinian 3D artist and designer Ezequiel Pini.

In his carefully sculpted and crafted worlds, we see visions of nature and built environments, but in artfully unreal ways, responding to physics, light, and gravity in ways that just aren’t possible.

Look at the short film Species here.

The trees have a unique geometry

Regardless, his short films carry real heft, with expert sound design and musicscapes that carry the motion.

The tree’s bark feels mathematical, precise

This film Species explores “the intersection of organic and geometric forms, “Species” embodies a unique perspective on the Mother nature.”

Just enough surrealism to stay with you.
A beautifully lit digital forest.

Images © Copyright Ezequiel Pini. See more on Sixnfive.com

Artist Nancy Fouts has a great knack for creating art that is familiar and strange all at once.  Her surrealist creations combine objects together in impossible ways.

Blister pack containing capsules shaped like ladybugs.
Single use ladybugs

Some of these designs have been explored by artists on Instagram, while others feel new and inventive.  Whether visual metaphors or just fun visual combinations, exploring Fouts’ work is a good way to exercise your creative mind. 

This groundbreaking artist died in 2019, leaving behind a large, provocative, and fantastic body of work.

Via Colossal:

Piano with grassA forlorn piano whose keys are sprouting grass.

nancy-fouts-moss-and-fog-3A hummingbird’s beak as a sharp stand-in for a record player needle.

nancy-fouts-moss-and-fog-4A pigeon wearing it’s own bread.

nancy-fouts-moss-and-fog-5Twin Cherries culminate into a pair of well-used dice.

nancy-fouts-moss-and-fog-6A revolver covered in sharp spines.

Everyone’s favorite, the Bad Year Blimp.

The irony of a needle through the thimble.

An M-16 assault rifle made out of miniature gold figures.

We came across the work of Jorm Sangsorn through an editorial lens. And their work fits that mold well, with concepts that can nicely set up an essay about mental health, privacy, and the like. Indeed, you can find dozens of pieces on sites like Shutterstock.

Though we feel that Sangsorn’s work rises above just that definition. The soft colors, clever use of silhouettes, and depth helps it feel inviting and dreamlike. the metaphors feel relatable, and the color palette feel grounding.

What emotions does this art elicit in you?

Illustrations by Jorm Sangsorn. 

We love the sharp black and white contrast of Kathrin Federer’s designs, the way she combines elements to create huge scale. And we appreciate her ability to take us on a surreal journey, her work the combination of different photographic elements, combined to tell a visual story.

Though mostly working in a black and white context, Federer uses subtle color to immediately draw our eye, and add depth to the scenery. Mostly though, we’re drawn to the stillness and peace in her work, conveying a strong sense of serenity.

Check out her work on Instagram and her portfolio website.

Images used with artist’s permission.

Nancy Fouts had a knack for creating art that is familiar and strange all at once.

Her surrealist creations combined objects together in impossible ways, and shared visual irony in such a simple yet meaningful manner.

Some of these designs have been explored by artists on Instagram, but Fouts was a trendsetter, and actually made the items come alive, through elegant sculpture work, versus just a digital canvas. Indeed, her work inspired leagues of artists today, who work solely in the digital realm.

Whether visual metaphors, politically-driven work, or just fun visual combinations, exploring Fouts’ designs are a good way to exercise your creative mind.

This groundbreaking artist died in 2019, leaving behind a large, provocative, and fantastic body of work.

 

nancy-fouts-moss-and-fog-1A combo of plant/balloon mashups.

 

A delicate egg nestled inside a grenade nest.

 

Piano with grassA forlorn piano whose keys are sprouting grass.

 

nancy-fouts-moss-and-fog-3A hummingbird’s beak as a sharp stand-in for a record player needle.

 

nancy-fouts-moss-and-fog-4A pigeon wearing it’s own bread.

 

nancy-fouts-moss-and-fog-5Twin Cherries culminate into a pair of well-used dice.

 

nancy-fouts-moss-and-fog-6A revolver covered in sharp spines.

 

Everyone’s favorite, the Bad Year Blimp.

 

The irony of a needle through the thimble.

 

An M-16 assault rifle made out of miniature gold figures.

 

nancy-fouts-moss-and-fog-coverOur favorite, a shuttlecock broken egg.

Am I awake yet?
The work of Aaron Elliott is dreamlike and fantastical, where skylines blend with city streets, where up is down, and where cityscapes are mirrored to create surreal surroundings.The genre of surrealism is flooded with content these days, but not all of it feels relevant or fascinating.
Elliott’s work seems more significant, playing god with entire landscapes in unique ways.See more of his work on Design You Trust:

forwardtrends_21107908_1068936579876689_6999519506645123072_nforwardtrends_21224113_473190636391422_979117406636998656_nforwardtrends_21224125_167443793821494_8310757027655712768_nforwardtrends_21224137_689378724599915_8553957184264732672_nforwardtrends_21224149_119124958811939_8619192948602437632_nforwardtrends_21224195_655535954647779_972339819394891776_nforwardtrends_21224213_1970826946494767_4728456674443001856_nforwardtrends_21224386_1470054323083442_6550629333256372224_nforwardtrends_21224390_115207862483552_7277797627528216576_n

Everyone likes a good book. How about one where the landscapes spill off the pages, surrounding you?

This series explores different landscapes, all expanding off the open pages of a book. It’s a simple yet effective surrealism.  Via AS:

 

 

Revisiting this collection of surreal photo combinations by Justin Peters that showcase natural wonders paired with human endeavors. The result is fascinating and fun, appealing to the mind and the heart.

We find that surrealism can inspire us to think more creatively, and express our imagination better. See more of Peters’ work on his website.

Via My Modern Met:

We love the sharp black and white contrast of Kathrin Federer’s designs, the way she combines elements to create huge scale. And we appreciate her ability to take us on a surreal journey, her work the combination of different photographic elements, combined to tell a visual story.

Though mostly working in a black and white context, Federer uses subtle color to immediately draw our eye, and add depth to the scenery. Mostly though, we’re drawn to the stillness and peace in her work, conveying a strong sense of serenity.

Check out her work on Instagram and her portfolio website.

Images used with artist’s permission.

There’s something highly compelling in the work of Spanish painter Cinta Vidal. It could be the multi-dimensional nature of her figures, existing on a myriad of planes and directions, like an Escher drawing. It could be the warm colors, painted on wood, balanced to have just the right level of white space and figure. Either way, we’re drawn to it, and the fascinating way the art pulls you in, to examine the scenes in detail. Despite them existing in a surrealist world, we don’t feel alienated or distant. Instead, we want to jump into the scenes, and take a stroll through the imaginative landscapes. Really lovely work.

cintavidal01_THEWHITEPARK-100x100cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-1024x1024cintavidal02_COWORKING-80x80cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-1024x1024cintavidal03_URBAN-80x80cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-1024x1024cintavidal05_HOME-55x80cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-690x1024cintavidal06_CITY-545x645cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-876x1024cintavidal07_JAUNT-47x645cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-733x1024cintavidal08_LIVING-TOGETHER-635x50cm-Acryliconwood-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-1024x818cintavidal09_OUTING-55x55cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-1024x1024cintavidal10_RAMBLE-55x55cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-1024x1024cintavidal12_TAI-O-50x50cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-1024x1024cintavidal13_LA-GOMERA-50x50cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-1024x1024cintavidal15_RUNE-456x36cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-1024x821cintavidal16_CARAVAN-36x36cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-1024x1024cintavidal20_ON-CHAIRS-32x32cm-Acryliconwood-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-1024x1024cintavidal21_SENATOBIA-26x32cm-Oilonwoodpanel-ViewPoints-ThinkspaceGallery-sept2018-LR-829x1024WhiteLansdcape3-25x25cm-HK-march2018-LowRes

The perspective of these surrealist earth collages makes our head spin, but in a pleasant way. Often made using vintage found photography, artists like Frank Moth, Trash Riot, Mooncrab and more have created memorable images that give Earth a whole new vantage point.

Check out this collection of great surreal earth art below. And always check out our Pinterest and Instagram pages for more surrealist fun.

In our era of Photoshop, anything really is possible, visually. Take these photo manipulations by Martijn Schrijver, which push the world of animals and landscapes to new, often hilarious levels. From tropical to snowy, Schrijver gives us scenery that defies expectations, and description. Some of them work better than others, but it’s clear he’s deeply enjoying the work, which gives us a surreal look at the world around us. Via Inspiration Grid:

art-martijn-schrijver-featureart-martijn-schrijver-18art-martijn-schrijver-14art-martijn-schrijver-12art-martijn-schrijver-13art-martijn-schrijver-09art-martijn-schrijver-03art-martijn-schrijver-04art-martijn-schrijver-05art-martijn-schrijver-06art-martijn-schrijver-07art-martijn-schrijver-08art-martijn-schrijver-01art-martijn-schrijver-02

Am I awake yet? The work of Aaron Elliott is dreamlike and fantastical, where skylines blend with city streets, where up is down, and where cityscapes are mirrored to create surreal surroundings. The genre of surrealism is flooded with content these days, but not all of it feels relevant or fascinating. Elliott’s work seems more significant, playing god with entire landscapes in unique ways.  See more of his work on Design You Trust:
forwardtrends_21107908_1068936579876689_6999519506645123072_nforwardtrends_21224113_473190636391422_979117406636998656_nforwardtrends_21224125_167443793821494_8310757027655712768_nforwardtrends_21224137_689378724599915_8553957184264732672_nforwardtrends_21224149_119124958811939_8619192948602437632_nforwardtrends_21224195_655535954647779_972339819394891776_nforwardtrends_21224213_1970826946494767_4728456674443001856_nforwardtrends_21224386_1470054323083442_6550629333256372224_nforwardtrends_21224390_115207862483552_7277797627528216576_nforwardtrends_21294698_712916995558249_4907058646019473408_n

We love these geometric, minimal collages by Marcos Guinoza, bringing a surrealist sensibility to his prolific body of work. The Brazilian artist references classic graphic design and print layout in his work, but breaks boundaries into the realm of the abstract and surreal. Check our more of his work on Instagram:

We’ve followed the work of Erik Johansson for years now, admiring the way he’s able to creatively construct a surrealist scene. His work touches themes of harnessing the elements, turning night to day, and juxtaposing urban life with nature.

Here is a collection of his newer work, including a woman rising from an escalator into a thick forest, shopping bags in hand. In another, a woman uses a giant pair of tweezers to pluck (or place?) stars from the sky. We also see a man standing sideways on a tree, contemplating his own fate as he aims to saw it down.  Johansson spends significant time and effort staging and creating these images, and it shows. Via Behance:

b3bd3f80893057.5cee762e09d41d2ed1681842037.5d0b6bef081f08c28d379365423.5cc0b4e691b60