Art that is perfect for Halloween -- Travis Louie

My Halloween countdown of artists continues with Travis Louie. Previous entries in this series explored the artwork of Chet Zar and Laurie Lipton. The first entry in this series involved a painting by Chet Zar. The painting by Zar, titled “Night”, was inspired by George A. Romero’s cult classic ’Night of the Living Dead’. The second entry focused on the artwork of Laurie Lipton-- an artist who often switches the roles between the living and the deceased.

Travis Louie’s art is not so much chilling as it is downright fun. Louie has created his own imaginary world that-- as he has stated-- is grounded in Victorian and Edwardian times. Louie’s world is inhabited by various oddities and joyful abominations-- all of which appear to embrace the upper crust of their society.

Oliver Smiley - 11 x 14 inches, acrylic on board by Travis Louie

Art that is perfect for Halloween -- Laurie Lipton

My Halloween countdown of artists who borderline on the macabre-- or simply stimulate the imagination of viewers with artwork that is both chilling and thought provoking-- continues. The first in this series involved a painting by Chet Zar. The painting by Zar, titled “Night”, was inspired by George A. Romero’s cult classic ’Night of the Living Dead’. In the scope today-- Laurie Lipton.

Reunion -- charcoal & pencil on paper 55 x 63 cm by Laurie Lipton

I conducted an interview with Laurie Lipton back in 2007. Thus, I’ve been aware of her artwork for a few years-- and have always been impressed. Lipton’s meticulously detailed drawings often involve a sense of impending death-- many of her works seem to explore a twisted reality where the living and the dead ‘live’ side-by-side. Other works provoke the idea that perhaps the living are not as alive as they might think-- a notion spurred by a change of roles between the living and the deceased.

Art that is perfect for Halloween -- Chet Zar

I must admit that October is one of my favorite months of the year-- I’m a horror film and ghost story buff. Thus, October-- due to the build up to Halloween-- is great because people tend to be in the same mode of thinking. Not to mention all of the great food that takes the spotlight during October-- I have a soft spot for pumpkin pie.

While I suppose I should be spending my time searching for printable pumpkin carving patterns, roasted pumpkin seed recipes, or Halloween costumes I can’t help but search for artwork that has a theme of horror. In the days to come I will be posting about artists and artwork that I think are perfect for Halloween.

“Night” - oil on board 20x16” by Chet Zar

One of my favorite artists-- no matter the season-- is Chet Zar. That said, his body of artwork fit’s the vibe of October perfectly. For example, one of his paintings, “Night”, meshes his great sense for the strange with an obvious love for horror movies. The image depicts the iconic first zombie encounter in the cult classic Night of the Living Dead. The painting itself is the perfect visual homage to George A. Romero.