Blending themes of pop culture with techniques reminiscent of the old masters, Mark Ryden has created a singular style that blurs the traditional boundaries between high and low art. His work first garnered attention in the 1990s when he ushered in a new genre of painting, "Pop Surrealism", dragging a host of followers in his wake. Ryden has trumped the initial surrealist strategies by choosing subject matters loaded with cultural connotation.
Ryden's vocabulary ranges from cryptic to cute, treading a fine line between nostalgic cliché and disturbing archetype. Seduced by his infinitely detailed and meticulously glazed surfaces, the viewer is confronted with the juxtaposition of the childhood innocence and the mysterious recesses of the soul. A subtle disquiet inhabits his paintings; the work is achingly beautiful as it hints darker psychic stuff beneath the surface of cultural kitsch. In Ryden's world cherubic girls rub elbows with strange and mysterious figures. Ornately carved frames lend the paintings a baroque exuberance that adds gravity to their enigmatic themes. (source)
Ryden manages to capture an eerie style and vibe, which is the type of work that I am aiming for, the only difference being how these connotations come from his traditional style of painting and that mine come from the actual storyline and image of the characters in my comic book.
I like the way that most of his images are portraits, and this shows that he is almost documenting real life, and someone is sat infront of him waiting for there picture to be drawn, which adds a sense of realism to his work, making his characters eerily human and real.
