Hookers and Junkies in Art

Édouard Chimot garnered considerable praise and caused some controversy when he exhibited his work in the 1920s. His erotically charged pieces revolved explicitly around hookers and junkies, who usually worked and lived near his studio in Paris.

Throughout history, artists have used prostitutes as key subjects for their artwork, and Chimot was no different. He often paid these ladies of the night to sit for him—as hookers were often cheaper to hire than models.

Many of his drawings, etchings and paintings have a dark, slightly sinister feel to them. I can imagine the scandal they caused back in the early 1900s.

Thanks, Bridgette.

Comments

Weirdly Charming

If you’re a fan of art that makes you do a double-take, you need to check out Richard Brener . Based in the UK, Richard is an internationally collected artist who works primarily with ink, fineliners, and gouache. When you first see his pieces, they actually look pretty playful. Then you realize the entire canvas is packed with thousands of tiny, ghost-like shapes he calls "champs." They’re all squeezed together like commuters on a rush-hour train, and the level of detail is honestly mind-blowing. Richard spends hundreds of hours drawing these little guys over and over. It’s obsessive, very intentional, and a little bit wild. The cool part is that the longer you stare, the more the vibe shifts. Check out more photos below:

Sheri DeBow's Strange Dolls

These dolls by artist Sheri DeBow are hardly something you would buy for a child. Each piece is one of a kind, and people who love to collect strange, creepy, or gothic dolls will surely love her creations. Sheri studied painting and drawing and took sculpture courses at Napa Valley College in California. She says her inspiration comes from dreams, books, love for history and general life experiences, good and bad. To see more of Sheri's work, follow her on Instagram .

Eric van Straaten's 3D-Printed Statuettes

I can't remember when I first became entranced with Eric van Straaten 's 3D-printed sculptures. I think I stumbled onto his work through tumblr when I was searching for new artists to follow. Eric's attention to detail is pretty amazing, and the image of the eroticized child-woman is familiar throughout his work. Most of his hyper surreal pieces are 3D-printed in sandstone material, which are created by laying down a thin layer of gypsum powder and using a binding agent and color inks to print a pattern onto it. Once the entire model is printed, it is withdrawn from the print bed and the excess powder is removed. The model is then sealed and ready for display. "I think that the girls I create in my work are visualizations of my own feelings, fantasies and thoughts," the Dutch artist explains. "The girls actually look like someone I (used to) know and the different ‘portraits’ tell something about what I think of myself in regards to her or women ...

finding cain

Search This Blog