Paintings of Children with Animals In Decaying Urban Landscapes by Kevin Peterson

Kevin Peterson continues to paint in-depth illustrations of young children and animals juxtaposed against dystopian urban environments. Kids, accompanied solely by polar bears, lions, and raccoons, are at the center of each painting surrounded by deserted, decaying buildings. Whereas his earlier paintings revealed the children are striding forward and researching, more lately his young subjects have been paused, seeming to be in moments of reflection or defiance.

Peterson studied fine art alongside psychology in school, and his diverse career included a graduate level in social work and a job as a corrections officer before he returned to his art practice in 2005. The artist’s interest in psychology and social dynamics helps inform the intention behind his works, which Peterson describes as dealing” with isolation, loneliness, and longing teamed with a level of optimistic hope. Problems of race and the division of wealth have arisen in my recent work. This work deals with the idea of rigid boundaries, the optimistic breakdown of these constraints, as well as questions regarding the forces that orchestrate our behavior.”

He shares his works in progress and completed paintings on Instagram.

H/T thisiscolossal

The post Paintings of Children with Animals In Decaying Urban Landscapes by Kevin Peterson appeared first on FREEYORK.

Stefano Cerio Captured China’s Abandoned Fun Parks In All Their Glory

Stefano Cerio has something for theme parks, cruise ships, and holiday hotels. Only, he does not visit them for precisely the very same reasons most people do.

Cerio isn’t looking for a fantastic time. Rather, he is on the prowl for pictures of the planet’s most gloomy vacation attractions. And in this show, he tackles the grey world of abandoned Chinese theme parks.

“When there’s a blue sky, I can’t take a photo,” the photographer states. “Otherwise it may look like a holiday brochure.”

Lucky for Cerio, he does not have to await a cloudy day really. Most days wind up being gray as a result of smog.

“If there’s a political component, this is where it seeps in,” Cerio states. “My pictures of Macau, one of the only places in China where gambling is legal, reveal exactly how different it’s from Las Vegas. Instead of glowing lights, it’s foggy, with clear lagoons.”

 

For Cerio, capturing the emptiness of these parks is essential to capturing the portrait of the places that he visits:

“I like to take photos of the people that are not there; I call them “portraits of this lack.” I think there’s a sort of reflection when all is empty, particularly in areas where, a couple of hours earlier, there were millions of people.”

In addition to his China Fun collection, Cerio has seized darkened scenes of ski slopes during the night, empty playgrounds after dark, cruise ships, and water parks in the winter.

What can we say? He appears to have something for depressing destinations. We only wish Banksy‘s Dismaland was around. We all know that’d be correct up Cerio’s alley.

h/t Yen / BBC / sobadsogood

Photographers Document Responses to Craigslist Adverts In Portrait Series

If you saw an ad on Craigslist requesting candidates for a portrait photography project, would you reply?

Luckily for Los Angeles-based photography duo KremerJohnson (Neil Kremer and Cory Johnson), over 100 individuals did reply to their article: “Portrait subjects needed (Anywhere). Portrait photographer was looking for subjects. Looking for interesting people to photograph…all shapes, genders, races, and dimensions are welcome.”

The resulting series, which remains continuing, includes an intriguing cross-section of people — photographed beautifully in places selected by the candidates themselves. Being self-confessed “light geeks,” the photographers just use two lights per shoot. They think this helps give a “focus” on the subject.

KremerJohnson is a photography group specializing in ecological, studio, and story portraiture. Their photos are equally stylised and authentic, showcasing their subjects in participating and impactful ways. Discover more at Behance and on Instagram.