(Chemistry)
I had to take a break from the classics to share the fantastic creative work of photographer/artist Thomas Allen. Valentines Day, with its lurid reds and pinks, has always been a bit burlesque to me as an adult so it seemed fitting for the Friday Favorite of Valentine’s week to involve the melodramatic, sensationistic art of pulp fiction books.
(La Belle Dame sans Merci)
There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life.
~Federico Fellini
I have always associated the classical artists with romance. Whether the subject matter, the style of painting, or simply the fact that they existed long ago, their work speaks to me of elegance and style and love.
Sir Frank Dicksee is one such painter. Though he lived in a time long after the early romantic artists (1853-1928), I associate his work with the other artists of that same period whose work is considered part of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. (If you click on some of these pictures, including the one above, it will open up a window with a much larger version. Your cursor will indicate with ones can be clicked on)
(Cover for the 50th anniversary SFBC edition of The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
Today’s Friday Favorite features the exquisite paintings of Donato Giancola. His work deserves to be seen at the largest resolution possible, so if you click on each picture you can see a larger version. Like many of the artists featured here weekly, the work of Donato Giancola needs no explanations to justify its beauty; no emotion-laden speeches to inspire a connection. Of course that will not stop me from sharing why I find his work so incredible.
Today’s Friday Favorites features a couple of guys whose work I consider as representing the classic style of science fiction art: John Berkey and John Harris. Both have a unique style and yet their paintings evoke a classical feel. Neither artist has a proper website so obtaining quality pictures of their work is a task in an of itself. Hopefully the examples that I have found will give you an idea of how stunning their work can be.
(Cover for the anthology, Hitting the Skids in Pixeltown)
As promised, today’s Friday Favorite features more science fiction art, this time buy the digital master Stephan Martiniere.