Phantasmaphile

Sedona

So I'm off to Sedona, Arizona for a week.  Blogging will most likely be on hold until I return.  Any recommendations of things I should check out while I'm there? 

Vanessa Donoso Lopez

Vanessa Donoso Lopez  "The Butterflies That She Keeps In Her Stomach Are So Well Educated...Oh Gosh!"

I must be on a butterfly kick right now, maybe it's the summer's fault.  But either way, this piece by Vanessa Donoso Lopez - and her other work as well - makes me incredibly happy. 

Ross Bonfanti

Ross Bonfanti  "Butterfly Couple"  2005

I think Ross Bonfanti's mixed media pieces are awesome.  First off, squished baby faces are just plain funny.  Secondly, the work is completely unique - they have a dimensionality and personality unlike anything I've seen before.

Larissa Bates

Larissa Bates  "Four Goat Harpies"  2007

I was following a rather long trail of link crumbs when I found myself stopped in my tracks by the work of Larissa Bates.  Her work is an amalgamation of styles, and feels mythic and modern at once.  Please click on the pic to see it in all its detailed glory.

Chelsea Cardinal

Chelsea Cardinal  "Swan Dream" 

Chelsea Cardinal's illustrations are wondrous pastel studies of nature and dreams.  I love their innocence and all of the lovingly crafted details that show up in each piece, such as wallpaper patterns and finely drawn tendrils of hair.

Via

David King

David King  "Tonight You'll See"  2006

I love David King's collage work.  Body builders, pearls, breathtaking natural environments, disparate colors, and mismatched lighting may seem like clashing elements, but in King's world they make some sort of beautiful sense.  It's a difficult task to balance the comical with the divine, but is absolutely transcendant when done well, as it is here.

Via

Richard Powers

Richard Powers

What a strange and awesome combination of influences Richard Powers had.  His work is a mix of sci-fi/fantasy illustrations with the techniques of the abstract surrealists.  I just love his vivid colors and astral patterns.  Extraordinary!

(Thank you yet again, Charles!)

Nicole Natri

Nicole Natri  "Skin Deep"  2007

I love Nicole Natri's curious collages.  Their sepia hue makes them feel like old photographs from her psyche.

Joanna Chrobak

Joanna Chrobak  "Nocturn" 

Joanna Chrobak's pale, androgynous subjects strike mystical poses, like deities from another world.  They are crowned and surrounded by dream symbols, and wordlessly implore us to decode their messages.

Via

Margaux Lange

Margaux Lange  - Bracelet

As you may have gathered from previous posts (like this one and this one), I have a penchant for doll parts.  To put it more specifically, doll parts used in startling, unusual ways.  Margaux Lange's jewelry is about as surprising as it gets: plastic features and limbs are framed in sterling silver, then connected in pleasing patterns to bedeck oneself in.  Sophisticated and childlike at once, these pieces would definitely make you stand out in a crowd.

Via   

Daniel David

   
   Daniel David  "Syllogism No. 5"  2006

I love the 1950's ad style of Daniel David's paintings.  To me, it's a great foil of normalcy for an otherwise disturbing yet brilliant set of ideas. 

(Thanks, Joanna!)

Joel-Peter Witkin

Joel-Peter Witkin  "Poussin in Hell"  1999

Joel-Peter Witkin's photographs seem like vintage pieces, but they are, in fact, contemporary.  Witkin's vision is a bit horrific, and dense with beauty and psychological tension. 

Erin Fetherston

Erin Fetherston  Spring/Summer 2007

I will never understand why celebrities with gobs of money wear nothing but Armani and Chanel and the like to their fancy affairs.  There are perfectly great designers out there who infuse their pieces with loads of imagination and glamour to boot.  Erin Fetherston creates garments fit for a fairy tale that have a fresh, unconventional edge.  Perfect for Parisian princesses and midnight maidens.

Jonathan Solo

Jonathan Solo  "Their Mask...My Dress"

I wish I could find out more about Jonathan Solo and his work.  His stark portraits explore themes of gender, transgression, and psychological tension.  His pieces are sensitively rendered in graphite and are as beautiful as they are unusual.