Boris Pelcer's Haunting "Byronic" Illustration Series

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A Byronic hero is an archetype named after the English poet Lord Byron, who's life's work exemplified this type of character. That man of loneliness and mystery, scarce seen to smile, and seldom heard to sigh. It describes a very specific, and interesting type of character who is typically characterized as lonely, rebellious and brooding, which is a rather popular theme in modern literature.

Milwaukee based illustrator Boris Pelcer set out to create a personal illustration series to visualize his interpretation of Byronic protagonists, afflicted by a personal darkness only known to them. Using plenty of contrast and a rich red color palette, we are given a peek into the world as seen by a Byronic, and it is truly fascinating. As Pelcer best put it in his synopsis of this series: To feel alive it must be in the terrible exaltation of a brief & destructive action (Camus, The Rebel, p.49).

CocoRosie - "Child Bride"

American 'freak-folk' sister duo CocoRosie recently debuted the music video for their rather unsettling single, Child Bride. Most appropriately, the video shows us a young girl being prepped to become, you guessed it, a child bride. The haunting, ethereal track accompanies a sad yet somehow fantasical looking narrative (the costumes look like they could be something out of a Tarsem film), bringing together a strangely dark music video.

London Grammar - "Wasting My Young Years"

UK-based trio London Grammar just released their debut music video, 'Wasting My Young Years.' Around since only 2012, they have a beautifully ethereal, haunting sound.  The vocalist's voice alone is somehow light, yet with a hint of darkness, and raw emotion behind it. Which makes the black & white, 35mm shot video perfect for a song full of sad memories. Don't forget to also check out the behind-the-scenes video!

Circa

James Chiny of Hypoly created this haunting short, entitled 'Circa.' Using a series of shots pulling away from different landscapes, he subtly shows us the story of a quiet, uninhabited Earth. His use of warm yet barren-feeling color, and foggy atmosphere really sets the mood and leaves you wandering, 'What happened?' Make sure to watch all the way through to the end. Everything about it is understated but definitely leaves a lasting impression.

Leviathan Trailer

Leviathan looks incredible for the fact that it offers an unflinching, messy, and plain out ugly perspective on the commercial fishing industry. Judging by the trailer, any form of romanticism was thrown out the window the second that Lucien Castain-Taylor and Verena Paravel set out to to make this film. Instead, we are presented with the toll that such a venture takes on the ocean and it's workers.

There is no narration, exposition or context to be presented, just a series of dark, abstract scenes that take the definition of documentary to the limit, bordering on feeling like some sort of strange horror movie. The movie has garnered multiple awards so far in the international film circuit, and will be getting a limited release in the US on March 1st, 2013.

Where Mary Lives...

Well, that was somber.  This haunting animated short by Shibabrata Chakraborty brings us the story of little Mary, a foster child with a past so horrible, that it turns her into a child enveloped by dark behavior.  Eerily similar to the story of Beth Thomas, it's certainly a very sad story, but well told and animated.  The art style was hauntingly beautiful with great textures.  It's definitely an interesting short, and highly recommended.  That said, watch some Winnie the Pooh or something afterwards...

The Haunting Work of Vasilis Avramidis

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There's something really beautifully haunting about the work of artist Vasilis Avramidis. Drawing inspiration from gardens and plant life, he created a stunning series of fantastical oil paintings that are on the dark, somber side. I loved the look of overgrowth, how all the plants and moss just keep going, despite the best efforts of the gardeners. It's a sober reminder of how everything will just continue to go on, how life will move on, no matter what we try to do to stop or change it. Be sure to check out Avramidis' site for more of his great work!

More paintings after the break!

Fluorescent

“That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered." Ecclesiastes:1,15

This is the quote that inspired Tim Razumovsky and Eyal Oren to create this surreal short about a man choosing to leave reality and venture through his society with eyes unclouded. The short is definitely left open for interpretation, but the slow paced journey definitely does carry some commentary about seeing the true underbelly of a society that the artists don't quite see as perfect. The haunting, somber score by Gil Landau & Yaeli Cohen is absolutely perfect, giving the short a dreamy, modern-day western feel.

Ad Lucem

In this visually stunning animated short, a vampire wanders outside in the night and comes across a beautiful flower. Enchanted by it, he decides to stay outside a little longer than a vampire should.  The title, Ad Lucem, is latin for "to the light", if that gives you a better idea. While the story is fairly simple, it's the theme and art of the light that is so captivating.  Created by French animator Ghislain Avrillon.

The Art Of Sam Weber

The Crow Procedure (Via)

Sam Weber is a Brooklyn based artist who has been making waves over the last few years with his excellent mixed media approach to illustration. Incorporating the old with the new, Sam typically starts off his paintings with a mix of watercolor and acrylics before finishing doing a digital treatment. What I love about this approach is that it gives his work a truly natural, textural quality typically missing from digital art, mixed with smoky, at times unsettling compositions. After studying Sam Weber's work, I kind of realized that he's inspired quite a few other artists with his groundbreaking process, which brings to mind artists like Jeff Simpson.

The caliber of Sam's work has brought him a great deal of amazing projects, not limited to illustrating the covers and inside illustrations of various literary classics from the last few decades. Among some of the projects he's been involved in: Lord Of The Flies, Fahrenheit 451 and Ender's Game. I think any artist who looks at his approach of bringing the best of both worlds (Analog and digital) would agree that he's created something truly unique, and striking. Check out more of Sam's beautiful work after the break!

The Art Of 非

Untitled (Via)

非, also referred to as YDK Monroe is a Tokyo based digital artist who creates some truly haunting imagery mainly focusing around some profoundly damaged looking male subjects. She pulls off a sense of confusion, despair and loss in all her images, with a reoccurring theme of mouths scarred with an 'X' shape. There's a definite sense that all of her subjects are simply falling apart or scarred in some way or the other. Her pieces feel deeply personal, and I can't help but wonder what they truly mean to her..Despite a lot of digging, her pieces are on the most part untitled and she also barely shares any personal information about herself. Check out 7 more pieces after the break.