Artist Of The Week - Mark Ryden
Clear Heart, Grey Flowers
My friend had her Facebook profile picture as this incredibly odd image of four girls having a tea party (see Allegory of the Four Elements below), but I had no idea who the artist was. Then I happened to stumble across Mark Ryden’s website the other day and noticed it was one of his pieces! So the coincidence has led me to share with you some of his enchanting, but often, baffling pieces of art.
At first, it’s easy to be drawn in by the cuddly toys and cute (but creepy) girls he paints, but on closer inspection, he reveals dark, mysterious and almost always disturbing subject matter. Ryden’s eerie paintings are packed with alchemical symbols, religious emblems, ghostly girls, and beautiful but strange landscapes which are easy to get lost in.
Ryden was born in 1963 in Medford, Oregon, and studied Illustration at the Art Centre College of Design in the late 80’s. He currently shares a studio with his wife and artist, Marion Peck, in their Californian home, with his two children, Rose and Jasper (I love that name, Jasper). He finds inspiration in his vintage toy collection, Alice in Wonderland, psychedelic artists, Bosch, Bruegel and Ingres, with an interest in Spanish and Italian religious paintings. He’s designed album covers for several musicians including; Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ringo Star, Michael Jackson, Oingo Boingo, Jack Off Jill, Marcy Playground and Butthole Surfers. And recently, his work has appeared in the Christina Ricci movie, Penelope!
Sofia’s Mercurial Waters
Aesthetic wise, if I was offered to choose between a Picasso or Mark Ryden’s Sofia’s Mercurial Waters, I would choose the latter. This is my favourite piece. Not just because of the heart-shaped frame, but because it contains the most absurd images. I love the look in her eyes while she ‘breastfeeds’ a miniature elephant.
Saint Barbie Fountain
Allegory of the Four Elements
Girl Eaten by Tree
Snow White
Do you love him as much as I do? Or are the pieces not for you?
Big love,
Ivy
xx
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:38 am
it makes me so happy to be able to see the pics on your website from work now! yaay!
with the art..i like it but it makes me feel uncomfortable, the allegory of four elemnts& girl being eaten by a tree are funny& probably my favourites.I’d love to have a little framed picture that people had to kinda of look up close to really get the details of it.
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:09 am
Wow! I have never seen any of Mark Ryden’s work. I love it. They’re so cute at first glance, and then you look again–shocking. Blood spurting out of a neck, naked Snow White, a girl being eaten by a tree! Too brilliant. I want one of his paintings in my place.
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July 3rd, 2008 at 1:01 pm
The naked, sexualised little girl thing kinda freaks me out, but I am insanely drawn to the rest of his art.
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July 3rd, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I’ve never actually seen his work before, but I really like the ”Allegory of the Four Elements”!
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July 4th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
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Beka - Ah, I’m glad you agree! His work may be crazy but it’s facinating, isn’t it?
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Shadow.x.Crystal - Yeah, let’s just pretend the girls are over the age of 18… lol.
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x Miss Corrine x - That’s an awesome piece! I love the animals sitting on their heads - so random.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Love it! I’ve seen it before though - long live stumble upon!
July 5th, 2008 at 12:19 am
Some of it is a little creepy…but I do like how there’s all kinds of crazy stuff going on and little details to notice…I am a huge fan of collages, so this kind of reminds me of that so I like it!
July 5th, 2008 at 10:17 am
i love him. i love the way the pieces are beautiful yet really, really creepy.
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