The unpleasant hyperrealistic artwork of Karl Persson
August 23, 2010 8:02 PM   Subscribe

The unpleasant hyperrealistic artwork of Karl Persson ( nsfw ) "My intellect doesn’t come into play when I am channeling something subconsciously. There is plenty of time for interpretation after a painting is finished. Whenever I look at my finished paintings it is like analysing a dream"
posted by boo_radley (42 comments total) 11 users marked this as a favorite
 
It's interesting artwork but I wouldn't call it hyperrealistic.
posted by tunewell at 8:06 PM on August 23, 2010


Some of the works are a bit like H.R. Giger with a broader color palette.
posted by jedicus at 8:06 PM on August 23, 2010


Why do so many artists (of varying stripes) insist on having full flash websites?
posted by The Thnikkaman at 8:07 PM on August 23, 2010 [4 favorites]


Why do so many artists (of varying stripes) insist on having full flash websites?

I think it's to prevent the images from being downloaded, copied, etc. Not that it works [nsfw].
posted by jedicus at 8:09 PM on August 23, 2010 [2 favorites]


Eew.
posted by leotrotsky at 8:09 PM on August 23, 2010


Look, everyone! Sexually degraded women. I am so edgy
posted by sonic meat machine at 8:12 PM on August 23, 2010 [19 favorites]


It's not enough. I need more. Nothing seems to satisfy. I don't want it. I just need it. To dream to feel to know I'm alive.
posted by Joey Michaels at 8:13 PM on August 23, 2010 [4 favorites]


sonic meat machine: What do you think of Tunnel Vision (the dreamcatcher picture)?
posted by boo_radley at 8:18 PM on August 23, 2010


Oof. Navigation is making me dizzy.

Lunch Monkey is kind of cute, though! Look at that hungry widdle guy.
posted by phunniemee at 8:19 PM on August 23, 2010


boo_radley: It's technically well executed.
posted by sonic meat machine at 8:21 PM on August 23, 2010 [1 favorite]


I know several good therapists I would happy to recommend.
posted by MasonDixon at 8:21 PM on August 23, 2010


Technically proficient but kinda played. Also, what sonic meat machine said.
posted by everichon at 8:26 PM on August 23, 2010 [1 favorite]


see: Juxtapoz. Or stoned artists. Not bad, though.
posted by kozad at 8:32 PM on August 23, 2010


Nice in concept, but some of them look like cheap book covers, as in: not being detailed enough, or heavy-handed color schemes, or very generic backgrounds. I'd imagine that the dreamcatcher one, for example, is very difficult for an artist to pull off because there are so many hands/arms to paint in a convincing or compelling way; I think a more stylized rendering would be easier to do and more visually effective.
posted by polymodus at 8:35 PM on August 23, 2010


Some of this stuff is pretty blatantly ripped off Beksinski - to the point where I'm not sure new things Persson is bringing to the table other than (apparently) adolescent sexual issues.
posted by Ryvar at 8:43 PM on August 23, 2010 [5 favorites]


DEMONS DERIVATIVE TO SOME, ANGELS ORIGINAL TO OTHERS
posted by infinitewindow at 8:48 PM on August 23, 2010 [2 favorites]


Ryvar: "Some of this stuff is pretty blatantly ripped off Beksinski - to the point where I'm not sure new things Persson is bringing to the table other than (apparently) adolescent sexual issues."

Beksinski is an obvious influence here. He's one of the few old dread masters though; you could never hope to do more than ape his style.

Even when he was photographing, his work was unsettling.
posted by boo_radley at 8:55 PM on August 23, 2010 [3 favorites]


Unpleasant hyperrealistic flash interface scrolled uncontrollably.
posted by amethysts at 9:25 PM on August 23, 2010 [3 favorites]


Maybe a touch of Francis Bacon too?
posted by Artw at 9:28 PM on August 23, 2010


He's ripping off Goya.
posted by Artw at 9:46 PM on August 23, 2010


Gah. Image blocker. That was fromhere.
posted by Artw at 9:54 PM on August 23, 2010


Looks like the portfolio of a Magic: The Gather graphic artist. Not hyperrealistic, I would say, since the work doesn't seem to aspire to blur the boundaries of artifice and reality or play with simulacra and representation, but rather fantastical in a very traditional way.

I find the sexualized/traumatized female forms here very distasteful for personal and social and moral reasons. As art, it's just terribly trite. The only interesting refutation would have to be better work, and I'm almost certainly not the person to do it, but looking at his art makes me think that maybe it could be rewarding to allow the imagery to look back at its creator, and capture some dimension of that encounter; the power relations between hapless dream women and sadistic male artists could be much more interesting if it weren't done in such a one-dimensional, incurious way.
posted by clockzero at 10:10 PM on August 23, 2010 [6 favorites]


I dunno, I'd say it's more like a selection of illustrations for Ramsey Cambell themed Call of Cthulhu supliment.
posted by Artw at 10:19 PM on August 23, 2010 [1 favorite]


Ew, bad teeth in a sloppy, leering mouth. I will view this after I have slept. Assuming I will be able to.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:46 PM on August 23, 2010


And once again, a painter posted to MeFi turns out to produce work that looks like it's stolen from an 8th grade nerd's Trapper Keeper. Why does this keep happening?
posted by nasreddin at 11:31 PM on August 23, 2010 [7 favorites]


My intellect doesn’t come into play when I am channeling something subconsciously.

Hmm yes I can see that.
posted by Anything at 12:09 AM on August 24, 2010 [2 favorites]


I'm finding something about these vaguely revolting right now. It may be the nature of the content.
posted by Saxon Kane at 12:30 AM on August 24, 2010


My first thought was that these look like art assets from the sort of Western developer who, if handed the Silent Hill franchise, would make a third-person cover shooter.

I will put my fingers in my ears and scream and pretend that Silent Hill stopped with number four.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 2:40 AM on August 24, 2010


Rejected covers for the new Clive Barker collection... as others have said, I've seen this sort of thing done much better and more weirder by others.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:02 AM on August 24, 2010


Over the past 80 years, our culture has been diligently seeking the beauty that undeniably exists in ugliness, cruelty and decay. Pretty much every artist in that time has found this counter-intuitive beauty, exposed it, celebrated it, and schooled us all in appreciating it. Now, on to the next thing, please ...
posted by Faze at 4:11 AM on August 24, 2010


lots of beksinski
posted by p3on at 4:51 AM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]


I think it looks amazing. I love it. I've bookmarked it. Thanks for sharing!
posted by h00py at 5:45 AM on August 24, 2010


I'd like to see this guy work on a comic.
posted by Mister_A at 6:49 AM on August 24, 2010


I was vaguely wondering who would buy such stuff, but then I saw h00py's comment.

Whatever floats your boat, I guess.
posted by IndigoJones at 7:16 AM on August 24, 2010


I hear Iron Maiden is looking for an illustrator for their new album.
posted by Nelson at 7:47 AM on August 24, 2010


Torture porn.
posted by Windigo at 8:07 AM on August 24, 2010


and schooled us all in appreciating it. Now, on to the next thing, please ...

If painters, composers, and architects want anything from their audience, it isn't so much appreciation, as learning the truth behind their work. I don't think anyone who learned the truth would be tired of it and want to "move on" to the next fashionable thing. Whether that is a failure on the part of the artists or the audiences, I would not say or judge.
posted by polymodus at 8:10 AM on August 24, 2010


I will put my fingers in my ears and scream and pretend that Silent Hill stopped with number four TWO.
posted by FatherDagon at 8:15 AM on August 24, 2010


I liked the movie!

it's like the Citizen Kane of videogame movies.
posted by Artw at 8:23 AM on August 24, 2010


"I'm Garth Marenghi. Author. Dreamweaver. Visionary."

Sorry, this guy just reminded me of whomever would do the cover art for Garth's books.. perhaps 'Afterbirth', or 'Juggers'.
posted by FatherDagon at 8:38 AM on August 24, 2010 [3 favorites]


Dicknipples. I guess we should be grateful that they're not shitting?

Also: And once again, a painter posted to MeFi turns out to produce work that looks like it's stolen from an 8th grade nerd's Trapper Keeper.

If you know any eighth graders that are that technically accomplished, I'd suggest that you get them into an accelerated art program where they can work on bigger and better canvases than a Trapper Keeper.

oh, and a shitload of therapy wouldn't hurt, either.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:41 AM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]


a shitload of therapy wouldn't hurt, either.

I'm not particularly fond of this guy's work beyond an acknowledgment of his technical chops, but these type of comments remind me of this concept and how often it is disregarded when considering the psychological make-up of given body of work.

I usually see Persona used to reference the speaking voice of a poem and rarely in art criticism as it refers to the artist. I don't know why I find it aggravating that the first reaction some people have to unpleasant art is "someone needs more mommy hugs!!" It is entirely possible that the artist is a healthy, balanced individual who chooses their subject matter carefully.
posted by archivist at 6:59 AM on August 25, 2010 [2 favorites]


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