When I started trying to promote my own artwork online I kept coming across other people's art that amazed or compelled me in one way or another. This blog has been a way for me to practice thinking and writing about art, as well as learning more about my peers and all the incredible art that is being made out there.

Search for an Artist on this blog (or cut and paste from the list at the bottom of this page)

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Oswald Cromheecke

From "Minah" 2011

From "Minah" 2011
From "Minah" 2011

From "Minah" 2011

From "Family Chronicles" 2010

From "Family Chronicles" 2010

Oswald Cromheecke is a Belgian artist working with graphic novel formats and animation. Both capture a very dark world view where the fantasy appeal of horror genres blends disturbingly with the all too real horrors of war, violence and despair. The work is spare, simple, and haunting in it's ability to accumulate in your minds eye and linger there. Like an unwelcome guest who has some valuable lessons to share with you, if you can just get past his rather appalling appearance, and never mind the dirt he tracked in or the sweet musty odor like something from an opened tomb. But seriously. The work has an immediate and visceral appeal. Much of it is cryptic in intent, making it all the more compelling. The books are self-published through blurb.com where you can leaf through virtual previews. The animations can be watched or linked to from his blog, oswaldcromheecke.blogspot.com. You can also view his work on Flickr.

(I highly recommend his most recent animation, "Antarctica", a simple bleak homage to Scott's doomed south pole expedition, music courtesy of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' soundtrack to the movie The Proposition.)

2 comments:

  1. I see a bit of Peter Doig and, of course, Ensor.

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  2. Holly, I hadn't seen Peter Doig's work before, so thanks for the mention. I wouldn't have thought of Ensor myself but I can see what you mean.

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