ART 305

Growing up, my interest in topics were deemed abnormal by my peers. I enjoyed supernatural, mythical superstitions like Cryptids and Creepypasta, stuff that would normally creep out people. Because of my interest I enjoy artworks that could depict that creepy or creepy-beautiful type of theme. In a way the theme fits my personality where I bounce from beautiful things to creepy things, or the mix of both. I discovered I enjoy Dark-Surrealism, it was fitting for me since I was raised off of Horror movies and murder documentaries. I believe the imagination and creativity in Dark-surrealism has no judgement, artist create their works not worrying about the negative critique because they enjoy creating hauntingly beautiful works that only they could understand if others do not.

I discovered the artist Steven Russell during my first semester of college in 2020. My painting course assigned a recreational painting assignment and I wanted to go with something that fit my interest, pretty but creepy. I went searching for something under the Dark-Surrealism genre where I saw an artwork where it was a women with white hair, her face and hair were split from the upper and lower mouth with a red snack filling the gap. It was an interesting piece that I immediately grew attraction to the more I worked on the assignment.

The artist Odilon Redon was taught through my course, AH 438: Art of Early to Mid 20th Century. The artist's style was different from what I am use to but it still caught my interest when their artworks was that beautiful type of Dark-surrealism. Their painting technique looks as though they used a painting knife to create their works. Even if they didn't, it is interesting to have that style depicted in their art.

The other two artist were artist I research under the Dark-surrealism genre. Fernando Maidana caught my attention because the color he chose for some of his paintings were what I wasn't use to. The painting, Mermelada which is Spanish for Jam, Maidana uses pastel colors in his painting which in my opinion counteracts the genre Dark-surrealism but also works just the same. There is nothing creepier than pastel colors depicting something creepy. It's different and interesting. Zane Wylie has my whole heart because his artworks surrounds the unique carvings of skulls with themes, such as movies or folklore. I enjoy anything that has to do with skeletons so when I came across Wylie's works I had to show them in the gallery. Not only does he do resin recreation, he also collects real skulls and puts them through a transformation that has them coming out as beautiful masterpieces

Overall, Dark-Surrealism is a genre I have adored. I have found beauty and comfort in paintings and other forms of artworks that could be seen as strange and unusual. I see these artist as individuals that know their artworks could comfort those that understand their unusual art and to those who do not understand, the artist knows their artworks are not for them.