Loving the Hussar

I can’t quite remember how I stumbled upon the art of Hussar… perhaps on that dinosaur known as myspace? At any rate, it was love at first sight. And I am talking about both his art and his physical presence.

But mostly his art.

Michael himself reminds me quite a bit of Anton LaVey. I’m not sure if it’s the striking gaze or the facial hair. Nonethless, the similarity is uncanny. But enough of what the dude looks like. On to his art.

I love art that tweaks me. If it makes my brain want to squirm or challenges my sense of the normal and the safe, sign me up. And Hussar has yet to fail to deliver.

Hussar’s art is the perfect symbiotic relationship between classical skill and mind-bending imagery, with a hefty does of twisted humor.

Perfection indeed.

Without any hesitation, I will tell you that "Pandora" is by far my favorite piece by Hussar. Such a serene image of a mother nursing her baby, yet why is mom’s face shrouded? and what is UP with that fabulous striped hat on the tot’s head? Love it.

Why? Because it’s disturbing, yet profoundly beautiful at the same time.

Such Hussar images as Pandora and Morphine evoke a certain amount of serenity and beauty, while paintings like Gummer, Birdbath, and Widow remind me of the imagery of Silence of the Lambs, and many other Hussar pieces are evocative of carney life.

What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall in Hussar’s studios and just watch him do what he does.

Michael Hussar lives and paints in Los Angeles CA, and has been involved in the west coast “lowbrow” scene all his life. He’s currently represented in LA by La Luz de Jesus gallery. He recently abandoned a short lived career as a painting teacher to devote more time to his work. His hobbies include, but are not limited to, long stretches of Isolation, followed by bursts of consumption.

Enjoy the video below – it offers many of Hussar’s less disturbing portrait paintings.

William Russell Walker

Walker is contemporary artist, currently living and painting in Georgia. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, Walker received a BFA in Columbus, Ohio in 1994. Walker’s works has been shown in several Florida galleries and you can view permanent collections in both Savannah, Georgia and Orlando, Florida. . . . → Read More: William Russell Walker

Antoni Gaudi

How many times have you used the word ‘gaudy’ to describe something tacky, over-the-top, or reminiscent of Tammy Fay Baker and Liberace? Did you know that word originated from the name of Antoni Gaudi, an incredibly unique Spanish architect during the Art Nouveau movement? I’ll wager most of you didn’t… . . . → Read More: Antoni Gaudi

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Perhaps one of the most prolific and influential cofounders of the Pre Raphaelite movement, Dante Rossetti not only painted, but designed, wrote poetry and translated as well. Multiple sources cite him as being the “most important and original artistic force in the second half of the nineteenth century in Great Britain”. Heavily influenced by Medieval Italian art, Rossetti preferred symbolic and mythological images to realistic ones. . . . → Read More: Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Alphonse Mucha

“Find yourself another profession where you’ll be more useful”. -The recommendation given to Mucha by the Prague Academy of Fine Arts, when his application was turned down. . . . → Read More: Alphonse Mucha

Hans Bellmer

Perhaps most well known for his doll series, Hans Bellmer produced sculptures, photographs, books and etchings in addition to theoretical and poetic writings; and an outpouring of drawings in an obsessive quest for a monstrous dictionary dedicated to the ambivalence of the body. . . . → Read More: Hans Bellmer

Tamara de Lempicka

“I live life in the margins of society, and the rules of normal society don’t apply to those who live on the fringe.” . . . → Read More: Tamara de Lempicka

Audrey Kawasaki

i’m not a good talker or explainer or story teller. i’m really not. i’m a bit of a social weirdo too, and get really nervous and anxious … If you sat me in front of you and started asking me questions (especially about my work), i’d probably get all fidgety and just say, ‘um … i really don’t know … Can i do this some other time?” . . . → Read More: Audrey Kawasaki

Otto Dix

Otto Dix was one of the most influential artists of the New Objectivity movement. Dix was profoundly affected by the sights of his internship in the First World War, and described a recurring nightmare in which he crawled through destroyed homes. . . . → Read More: Otto Dix

Christian Schad

Christian Schad was a German painter associated with both the Dada and the New Objectivity movements. Many do not know that he was a pioneer in Dadist cameraless photography. New Objectivity arose in Germany in the early 1920′s as an outgrowth of, and in opposition to, expressionism. New objectivity was very often referred to as post-expressionism and fell to the wayside during the early stages of Nazi power. . . . → Read More: Christian Schad