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Polish Painter Who Learned To “Photograph Dreams” – His Works Will Give You Nightmares
Let us take you on a journey through the curious drawing ideas of a Polish artist, Zdzisław Beksiński, who made a name for himself with his dystopian surrealism paintings, filled with post-apocalyptic imagery and creatures that come straight out of nightmares.
The artist is no longer with us to better explain the vast roster of over 300 of his scary drawings, but he used to say: "I wish to paint in such a manner as if I were photographing dreams. And that is exactly what popped into my head when I first saw his creepy pictures. Even though they utilize recognizable everyday objects, those are paired and arranged in ways only the dream world could sustain in a single image.
These unseen combinations gave birth to mind-bending scenarios, building an anxious feeling while looking at them. The cool drawings are beautifully abstract, yet they have the power to invoke real-world references, making them even creepier. The artist's explanation? Well, it may lie in these cryptic words: "What matters is what appears in your soul, not what your eyes see and what you can name."
Now scroll down for a dose of scary monsters and demon drawings below.
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#8
Lore Leaha 8 years ago
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
#11
Jessica McGee 8 years ago
Beautiful. There are no words that could describe the feeling this gives me.
#16
Richard Pickman 8 years ago
Sex? This is more like gas chamber in concentration camp during the WW II.
#18
Dragon Abode 8 years ago
I think it's safe to say at this point that... Even if his work is good... He needs to get some help
#24
#26
Dee Bernath 8 years ago
This adds a really creepy dimension to the Graves opening up an souls going up into heaven.
#28
Joseph Ryan 8 years ago
This is the face referenced in the Beatles tune, "Eleanor Rigby." "Wearing the face she keeps in a jar by the door."
#45
#46
#48
Muhammad Ibn-Raqib 8 years ago
I love how with each painting you think you can try and figure out what is going on. But it's painted with a way to where you truly can never understand it. And are completely lost, test dumbfounded and put in a state of thought that's as eerie as any nightmarish dream you've ever experienced. He conveys so much essence of a nightmare. How does he do this?! I want to meet this guy!
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What do you think ?
John L 8 years ago
I believe its safe to say that WWII played a major part in the artist's outlook of the universe. The destruction caused by the Nazis, and then the Soviets were horrible and must have had an everlasting impression on him. After all, he was only 11 when the war began, and 16 when it ended with occupation. No wonder he was so happy on the outside and so preoccupied with death and destruction in his subconscious, which found its way into his art.
Zuzanna Sendor 8 years ago
This is not entirely true. He was often asked about the war's influence on his work and this is what he said in one of the interviews (rough translation from Polish): "I was 10 when the war began. I was raised on comic books, death rays and Martians so I expected that war will bring spectacular experiences. Yet, war in my opinion as a child was just a change of the officials and bad food. Then it's rather difficult to admit I'm painting the catastrophe of war that I remember from childhood. Honestly speaking, I was actually disappointed with the lack of *special effects*. That's the way I'd put it. Of course I saw the dead and I survived the longlasting front, but for children such things are like water off duck's back." (quote from his art dealer's site http://beksinski.dmochowskigallery.net/introduction.php)
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Zori the degu 8 years ago
Beksinski' s work make you think. He combined beauty, horror and human fears to create something that captivates our attention and mind. The hairs on my neck went straight before I reached the end of the first page, yet I continued to the end of the list(as many of the other pandas did for sure) because there's something about these pictures' dark style that make you wish to see more no matter how terrified you are.
Jerie Ragsac 8 years ago
Beksinski was an amazing artist. He channeled his emotions through his work like depression, paranoia, fear.. Strangely, I was first introduced to his works in my Psychology class back in college and not in Humanities (which is like Art Class here), lol. Wasnt he already featured in BoredPanda before? (I remembered because I soft copied all the paintings featured)
John L 8 years ago
I believe its safe to say that WWII played a major part in the artist's outlook of the universe. The destruction caused by the Nazis, and then the Soviets were horrible and must have had an everlasting impression on him. After all, he was only 11 when the war began, and 16 when it ended with occupation. No wonder he was so happy on the outside and so preoccupied with death and destruction in his subconscious, which found its way into his art.
Zuzanna Sendor 8 years ago
This is not entirely true. He was often asked about the war's influence on his work and this is what he said in one of the interviews (rough translation from Polish): "I was 10 when the war began. I was raised on comic books, death rays and Martians so I expected that war will bring spectacular experiences. Yet, war in my opinion as a child was just a change of the officials and bad food. Then it's rather difficult to admit I'm painting the catastrophe of war that I remember from childhood. Honestly speaking, I was actually disappointed with the lack of *special effects*. That's the way I'd put it. Of course I saw the dead and I survived the longlasting front, but for children such things are like water off duck's back." (quote from his art dealer's site http://beksinski.dmochowskigallery.net/introduction.php)
Load More Replies... Zori the degu 8 years ago
Beksinski' s work make you think. He combined beauty, horror and human fears to create something that captivates our attention and mind. The hairs on my neck went straight before I reached the end of the first page, yet I continued to the end of the list(as many of the other pandas did for sure) because there's something about these pictures' dark style that make you wish to see more no matter how terrified you are.
Jerie Ragsac 8 years ago
Beksinski was an amazing artist. He channeled his emotions through his work like depression, paranoia, fear.. Strangely, I was first introduced to his works in my Psychology class back in college and not in Humanities (which is like Art Class here), lol. Wasnt he already featured in BoredPanda before? (I remembered because I soft copied all the paintings featured)
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