After I wrote the blog post (below) about the consolations of fantastical literature in times of upheaval, I found myself exploring the weird in visual art, too. I was looking for art in which I could recognise that same resonance – meaning via strangeness, never clear cut but of the unnerving sort that worms its way into the mind and wriggles there, an uneasy wonder.
Below is an incomplete list, in no particular order, of artists who create weird, eerie and uncanny art – with huge thanks to all who contributed on Twitter. The Twitter thread was short on artists who are not white men, though I have added later recommendations – thanks again to those who helped.
This list is far from comprehensive, but I discovered many wonderful artists when I asked for recommendations, so I hope you will find some new inspiration here too. It will be essential reading for all those attending my online writing course on fantastic literature.
Enjoy,
Zoe
Beth Conklin https://bethconklin.blogspot.com/2015/05/i-embrace-my-shadow-self.html
David Inshaw https://www.davidinshaw.net/gallery.html
Ben Varney https://bonelab.wordpress.com/
Louise Bourgeois https://www.theartstory.org/artist/bourgeois-louise/
Roger Ballen https://www.rogerballen.com/asylum-of-the-birds/
Andrew Mackintosh https://www.mackie-art.com/?amp=1
Leonora Carrington https://www.wikiart.org/en/leonora-carrington
Andrea Kowch http://rjdgallery.com/artist/andrea-kowch/
John Stark https://johnstarkgallery.co.uk/home.html
Tessa Farmer https://www.tessafarmer.com/
Aron Wiesenfeld https://www.aronwiesenfeld.com/
Eduard Angeli https://www.eduardangeli.com/
Neo Rauch https://www.wikiart.org/en/neo-rauch
Paula Rego https://www.wikiart.org/en/paula-rego
Christopher Chamberlain https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/christopher-chamberlain-884
Lisa Stokes https://lisastokes.co.uk/home.html
Giorgio de Chirico https://www.theartstory.org/artist/de-chirico-giorgio/
Marcelle Hanselaar https://marcellehanselaar.com/
Odilon Redon https://www.wikiart.org/en/odilon-redon
Arnold Boecklin https://www.wikiart.org/en/arnold-bocklin
Michael Sowa https://www.wikiart.org/en/michael-sowa
Edith Rimmington https://surrealism.website/Rimmington.html
Dave Mckean http://www.davemckean.com/portfolio/illustrations/
Carel Weight https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/carel-weight-2128
Leon Spilliaert https://www.wikiart.org/en/leon-spilliaert
Ron Mueck https://www.widewalls.ch/artist/ron-mueck/
Francesca Woodman https://www.wikiart.org/en/francesca-woodman
Carel Willink https://www.wikiart.org/en/carel-willink
Dan Attoe https://peresprojects.com/artists/dan-attoe/
Faye Godwin http://visualarts.britishcouncil.org/exhibitions/exhibition/fay-godwin-landscape-photographs-1984
Maxfield Parrish https://www.wikiart.org/en/maxfield-parrish
Lee Madgwick https://leemadgwick.co.uk/
Vee Speers https://www.veespeers.com/
Peter Doig https://www.wikiart.org/en/peter-doig
Frances Glessner Lee https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/nutshells
Joseph Cornell https://www.wikiart.org/en/joseph-cornell
Algernon Newton https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/search/actor:newton-algernon-cecil-18801968
Lisa Wright http://lisawrightartist.co.uk/
Nicola Bealing http://www.nicolabealing.co.uk/
Jon Carling https://www.joncarling.com/gallery
Paul Nash https://www.wikiart.org/en/paul-nash
Loretta Lux http://lorettalux.de/selected-works/
Paul Delvaux https://www.wikiart.org/en/paul-delvaux
Remedios Varo https://www.wikiart.org/en/remedios-varo
Laura Knight’s circus paintings https://saintamantarthistory.wpcomstaging.com/2018/10/06/laura-knight-the-circus/
Felix Vallotton https://www.wikiart.org/en/felix-vallotton
Anselm Kiefer https://www.wikiart.org/en/anselm-kiefer
Stanley Spencer https://www.wikiart.org/en/stanley-spencer
Edward Hopper https://www.wikiart.org/en/edward-hopper
Alice Maher http://alicemaher.com/
Thierry De Cordier https://www.xavierhufkens.com/artists/thierry-de-cordier
Dorothea Tanning https://www.wikiart.org/en/dorothea-tanning
Ana Maria Pacheco http://www.prattcontemporaryart.co.uk/artists/ana-maria-pacheco/
Francis Bacon https://www.wikiart.org/en/francis-bacon
Matthew Barney’s Cremaster cycle http://www.cremaster.net/
Max Ernst https://max-ernst.com/
Simon Stalenhag https://www.simonstalenhag.se/
Cathy de Monchaux http://www.cathydemonchaux.com/
Henry Darger http://www.officialhenrydarger.com/
Wangechi Mutu http://www.artnet.com/artists/wangechi-mutu/