Riding in darksea
part of Darksea chapter by Floship
Dear PINK’s
I am on Mexican Caribbean right now and proximity of coral reef reminded me of Floship illustrations that I find on flicker almost a year ago. As I wrote in my first comment to them they bring to my mind Haeckel, O’Keeffe & Max Ernst at once still retaining its very particular character. I admire the way Gerry Wong is able to create his own universe and even that the references to Asiatic “taste” can be find in his drawings he is not at all falling for so tempting but so obvious post-Murakami (post-manga) and post – urban vinyl contemporary vector illustration style. Discovering them gave me a lot of pleasure and satisfaction specially that I find contemporary children illustration a bit stuck between Disney clones (with all its highlights and shadows) and sensitive infantile minimalism (like Maisy etc.) The new American wave of animation (Tartakovsky, McCracken) and Japanese manga are another alternative but although I am hardcore fan of both again they are more contemporary canon that surprise today. For someone who, like me, grew up on Jan Marcin Szancer* and Zbigniew Rychlicki** fantastic creations the consciousness that this is a fertile zone is obvious. Although experimental illustration in polish school went at some point to certain dead ends (I mean drawings that are more satisfactory for parents educated in modern aesthetics than for children) I am sure that this is a space where creators can let they imagination run wild – specially that they “tiny” public is totally open-minded, ready to receive fantasy and has no doubts about existence of the strangest paradises. Floship proves that there is a lot of pink potential to explore in children fantasy universe, much more than Barbie and Pony people commonly use to associate with it. I recommended him to Zuza Ziomecka who short time ago started her new project “Gaga – magazine about beautiful childhood” – I hope that this peculiar life style alike mag for parents can develop towards being show space for such phenomena 🙂
PINK NOT DEAD!
maurycy
* Cover of “Trough Pink Glass” would be a proper image to post here but Szancer is huge starting from drawings for Tuwim’s “Lokomotywa” and ending on illustrations for Jan Brzechwa “Pan Kleks” that simply cannot be replaced by anything.
** Again an illustratinon giant – for me specially important becouse of his drawings for polish editions of L. Frank Baum Oz books.
Check also: Jan Marcin Sznacer on PND! Blog