the magic is already there
November 29, 2021 6:15 AM   Subscribe

A lettuce dog, a laundry cow, and other domestic surrealism by the artist Helga Stentzel.

From a conversation (El Colombiano, March 2021) with the artist:

"Domestic surrealism consists of converting a normal, homemade object into another common and very normal object, simply using the imagination. I'm not adding anything, maybe a detail or two. But the magic is already there. It's about seeing it and introducing it to people so they don't miss out on what I want to say. My themes are very realistic.

.. I do not actually represent any imaginary world or magic or unicorns, or distant planets in space. I probably have no imagination for that. But I also really enjoy what we already have. And I think it's very exciting to see what the things around us have to offer. For example, that the T-shirt cannot be just a T-shirt, it can be the front of a cow or an ox or a bull, or that the slices of bread can look like a dog . This makes my surrealism different from other styles. It is very dangerous because it is very basic."
posted by RobinofFrocksley (8 comments total) 20 users marked this as a favorite
 
That was delightful!
posted by Ipsifendus at 6:32 AM on November 29, 2021


So cute!
I was assuming they are all practical effects and not digital, but the blue paint man made me wonder. There is a "making-of" slide at the end. Hmm...
posted by bitslayer at 6:33 AM on November 29, 2021


So there is a gummi bär tree!
posted by chavenet at 6:47 AM on November 29, 2021


This may mark me as basic, but I really like art that has a specific intent and successfully conveys that intent while being original. Norman Rockwell is among my favorite painters.

Thanks for posting this. It's a great find.
posted by AlSweigart at 7:52 AM on November 29, 2021 [1 favorite]


These really are magical. Love the post!
posted by mochapickle at 7:56 AM on November 29, 2021 [1 favorite]


I liked the cat.
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:04 AM on November 29, 2021 [1 favorite]


These are terrific. I found a few more at My Modern Met (via her Media page) - I really like the teabags and the books. And her Instagram has some amazing stuff. But my favorites are the spaghetti snowman and the crepe/pancake guy at the FreeYork site.

I'm so delighted to know about Stentzel's work - thank you so much for posting this, RobinofFrocksley!
posted by kristi at 12:40 PM on November 29, 2021


I suspect it's more of a gummi bär vine .... looking forward to gummi bär vino, but more hoping for something in a red
posted by mbo at 6:21 PM on November 29, 2021


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