Brian Despain

While Mark Ryden made me want to do something on a really solemn subject (or at least make the theme of choice seem very grave), and add some sarcastic, dark humour to it, looking at Brian Despain’s paintings just delight me. It makes me want to do something lighthearted. This dude can even do a painting on a theme that is super insignificant or can be inspired by merely a weird conversation with a stranger. However, he does also take on serious subjects such as over pollutions in the world, but there is somehow a whimsical touch to it that makes everything not so dead-pan.

His subject matters mainly consist of robots, as part of his 100 robots project. While his painterly work retains a sense of humor, these paintings also belie a sense of melancholy, stemming from recent issues in the artists life. The robot appear to be in bleak situations and landscapes that look ready to storm. Painted in hurricane-cloud greys and blues and sulphurous post-apocalyptic yellows, the robot "protagonists" blunder their way across tumultuous landscapes, thrilled by a newly discovered concept of “self” yet haunted with the dawning realization of their fatal disconnection from the life which surrounds them. The artist stated that he wanted all 100 robots to have their own unique personality and tries to bring in their souls into the painting, through their actions since their expressions are quite fixed.

Looking at his works, one can clearly see the playful humor he presents. Unlike in Ryden’s paintings, one has to think/analyze really deep to sense his dark, often morbid humor; Despain simply includes a short, witty write-up to explain his works in an impish tone. Most of his works are based on his real-life experiences, characters being inspired by the people he knows, the themes just random ones he picked out in his sub consciousness. He taught me that although the way you paint might not bring about much thoughts from the viewers, but it sure will be memorable he can make such a serious matter seem to light-hearted.

The more I look at his works and his working style, I realize that perhaps I’m more Despain than I am Ryden. I am fine with sarcasm, a little bit of morbidity, but deep inside, I still do have the inner ‘retardedness ‘ in me. Maybe I can try to like, like give each of my subject matter a tinge of playfulness, so that it won’t look so solemn and serious… But of course the girl in the middle will still look empty in her eyes. Maybe something like these?

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<----- like just adding some elements of fun? like this (my favourite) toot-looking owl?

Hmm, two of my favourite pop surrealists, on the two extreme ends Ah... I’m so fickle :D