Issue 44 of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, with Queen of pinup Olivia De Berardinis‘ legendary painting, “Irving Claws (Bettie Page)”, on the cover is on sale now! Contact one of our Stockists or Shop Online, but don’t miss this special Issue. Take a peek at what’s inside below.
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 44
Inside this Issue, we delve into the work of Jeremy Lipking, who resides in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California, where the landscape becomes both muse and subject. His earthy oil paintings carry the mysticism and grandeur of the westward United States. Often, he paints what he knows. The giant mountains, grey peaks, crimson plateaus: landscapes coloured like late sunsets. He captures the seasonality of an ancient homeland: the deepest wintry snows and the lime-yellow leaves of turning time.
We also discover the inspiring photography of Han Yang. Influenced by her Chinese heritage, she draws upon the ancient principles of Yin and Yang, using circles to express the fluidity of motion and continual change while squares represent the stability of a grounding force.
The image itself speaks to an invisible and powerful desire. It can be silent or noisy, powerless or full of life, sad or joyful. When I create, I put as much of my whole being into it as possible and visualize that feeling.
Han Yang
Issue 44 cover artist legend, Olivia De Berardinis, known for her work simply as Olivia, has been creating art for more than 50 years and has borne witness to the ebb and flow of fine art movements. Whether in her earlier pinup work for magazines or her more recent art capturing the zeitgeist of the times by featuring superheroes and science fiction or horror movie characters, Olivia’s female figures could never be called shy and retiring. With direct, powerful gazes they challenge the viewer to accept them as they are, on their terms.
I started 50 years ago, but some things never change. You should tell your own story or a version of it; it should be what you know. Your art is the air you breathe. It is your reason for living. Your place on earth. You have to commit to the time it takes, attack with no fear, accept the failures, move on – and do this for a lifetime. My mantra is “no fear, don’t fuck up” and yes, I do fuck up, and often, but I get back to work. Failure is part of the lifelong process of being an artist.
Olivia De Berardinis
We also take a close look at Shawn Hawkins work and the passion he holds for his ancestors’
history that imprints itself onto his unique art style that blends the meticulously detailed portraiture of 18th and 19th century revolutionary paintings with the modernity of 21st century America. His work reframes classical American artworks in a darkly humorous way and utilises fabrics, textures, and text to showcase his appreciation for the history of his homeland all while equally criticising the nation in a modern millennial fashion. Shawn’s work is always contemplating and questioning, providing viewers plenty of food for thought as he critiques politics, social media, and one’s own self.
Get inspired as we learn what Leslie Ferrin, Director of Ferrin Contemporary, would like to add to her personal collection, in this Issue’s Curator’s Wishlist.
We also take a deep dive into the work of Lisa Lach-Nielsen, the graceful, highly detailed portraits she paints are not characterisations of any one individual, or even of particular feelings, but mirrors for viewers to gaze into and decide what to see. Lisa’s artistic point-of-view is primarily expressed through speculative portraiture. Her characters are realist in composition,
contemplative in mood, and as strong and determined as they are effeminate and frothy.
They say the pen is mightier than the sword. It turns out the humble pencil can slay the highest definition DSLR camera in a winner-takes-all fight to the sketch, at least when in the hand of 34-year-old South African artist Jono Dry. Jono’s incredible works announce themselves with a gravitas which is instantaneously imposing. They project a thematic intensity through compositions which are theatrical, dramatic and sometimes confronting. The resulting effect is as if each figure were a performer, on stage and under a spotlight against a blackened backdrop, in a display of performance art which demands our focus and for which we remain silent until the curtain falls out of respect for the artist.
Neural diversity has been an ally in my practice. On the one hand, it does mean I can be easily distracted, but the tendency to become hyper-focussed and fixated on things can also make it easier for me to focus on my drawing. My life can be chaotic and drawing is my biggest anchor. It helps me with finding peace in solitude.”
Jono Dry
We immerse ourselves in purple flowers, whimsical bugs and birds, mysterious snakes and mischievous butterflies as they perform an intriguing ballet in Tuesday Riddell’s creative forest. As if they were themselves telling the poetic tale of the creation of their species. Through japanning, the artist offers a unique perspective on contemporary art.
I’ve never been particularly good with words. I sometimes watch people speak or write and can’t even comprehend how they can make something sound so poetic or make you
Tuesday Riddell
understand and relate to something so beautifully with a sentence. When I learned the japanning technique, I think for the first time I felt like I could speak a language that allowed me to communicate things more accurately.
We next see priceless works of art being deconstructed not only physically, but metaphorically as they transform from abstract narrative or portrait to a frozen in time still-life through the work of Patrick Kramer.
As well, in this Issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Karla Pereira leads us into a universe populated by lost hearts, steadfast superwomen, masked maidens and Baroque seductresses, where Alice and Rapunzel comfortably sit side by side.
I believe that dreams are a direct connection with our inner world and we can learn a lot from them. Sometimes they are a way to escape from reality, but they can also bring us closer to what we want to build. They help us understand ourselves and the present moment.
Karla Pereira
We also explore Ukrainian painter Artem Rohovyi‘s paintings of languid nudes in alluring tones of red and gold, whether immersed in the warmth of a summer evening or casting an ethereal glow in melancholic winter landscapes, produce captivating blends of earthly and divine elements. This fusion evokes a striking harmony reminiscent of the luminous aesthetic of Klimt, intertwined with the mysterious allure found in Tim Burton’s dark fairy tales
Edith Lebeau mesmerizes us with full page reproductions of her evocative portraits and figurative paintings inside this Issue’s inspiring Lookbook Editorial.
In the Quick Q & A editorial, we ask Takuya Mitani, Alexis Trice, Kaetlyn Able, Marie-Eve Proteau, Alexandra Lukaschewitz and Christina Ridgeway answer the same questions:
- How do you approach the challenge of staying motivated and inspired in your art practice, and what strategies do you use to keep your creativity flowing?
- Can you talk about the role of storytelling and narrative in your work?
- What do you consider to be the most rewarding aspects of your work?
- What advice do you have for aspiring artists who are just starting out?
In this issues’ Collector’s Profile, we speak to Noah Musher, Co-founder & Owner of Arch Enemy Arts, about his personal collection.
In this Issues’ Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory editorial we highlight the work of many exceptional artists and photographers including: Jennifer Allnutt, Adrian Dominic, E.E. Kono, Berk Günay, Sharon Covert, Yoko d’Holbachie, Alex Garant, Sarah Lee, Anna Wypych, Christian Boehmer, Hannah Tjia, Carmen Rosa, Karen Turner, Karin Hauck, Paulina Góra, Matteo Weber, Eduardo Landa Velasco, Cédric Brion, Gabrielle Tito, Ryu Entei , Michaela Ďurišová, and Bob Coonts.
Inside this issue’s Letter from the Editor, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey takes time to reflects on the passing her beloved soul-dog Monty. She delves into the profound experience of loss, the journey of healing and planting seeds of hope. She speaks to the heart of moving into 2024 with renewed gratitude, love, and purpose.
Grief makes very clear the preciousness and depth of true love, and the privilege we receive from loving a being so deeply that their loss cracks us open. Reveals a part of ourselves we didn’t truly understand until that moment.
We also highlight more of the artisan fashion designers that have caught the eye of our Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief, in this Issue’s Some of our Favourite Things editorial.
And last but not least, enjoy a collection from Our Community, featuring some of the amazing hash tagged #beautifulbizarre artworks from our social media of over 1 million followers!
All this inside Issue 44 // March 2024, which showcases some of the best and most inspiring emerging and mid-career artists of our time.
Visit our online store and enjoy Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 44.
