Creepy Contemporary Art – but not too creepy.

Creepy contemporary art is not like creepy traditional art, which tended to be on the grim and gross side. Instead, contemporary creepy art is interesting, and often thought provoking – but not always. One thing it always is though, is fascinating.

 

2 creepy contemporary art

Greg Brotherton’s reinvention of a rotary dial phone and an old-fashioned calculator are definitely creepy contemporary art sculptures with a little bit of vintage charm. Creepy but cool.

Listening (above left) in is 12x18x18 and is made with welded steel, cast pewter, payphone dial, parts from a beer tap and concrete.

The Calculator (above right) is 12x27x17 and is made with welded steel, cast pewter, a cash register and adding machine parts.

3 creepy contemporary art

Another creepy piece with vintage charm is Dialogue by Michal Trpak. The old computer screen heads and keyboards being held up by skin stripped arms is definitely creepy, and yet not gross.

4 creepy contemporary art

Escape into reality (What does a painting think?) by Michal Trpák is one of my favourite contemporary pieces – creepy or 5 creepy contemporary art

The Ferryman’s End at Victor’s Way Indian Sculpture Park in Wicklow, Ireland is right on point with today’s trend of adding cement sculptures to our garden landscape and allowing them to slowly patina at Mother Nature’s leisure. Creepy as this piece is, it is actually part of a 9-hectare meditation garden. Death of the Ferryman is the name of this black granite installation and it is one of the forest sculptures that represent the various stages of life according to Buddhist religious philosophy. It is approximately twice life size and sits in a pool of algae covered water. It, like the others was designed by Mr. Langheld, the owner of the park.

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This awesome bust of angst called “Scream” (above left) is by Enrico Ferrarini and it is one of his many “Disturbed” sculptures. Enrico’s sculptures evolved out of research into neuroscience with a particular reflection on “Mirror’s Neuron”. Time, space, movement, expression and perception are his basic themes. I am loving the outstretched hand on the above right sculpture whose name I have yet to find out.

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Cathrine Maske works with both glass and photography separately and in combination such as the above two pieces – which are pretty unusual art objects that definitely fit the creepy and contemporary description. These paperweight looking designs appear to be body parts and insects preserved in solid glass but are actually photos within the glass.

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Cranio Nacre sculptures by Gregory Raymond Halili are skulls carved into gold and black lipped mother of pearl shells, these may be creepy but they are also incredibly beautiful.

9 creepy contemporary art

Cammino Per Trasformarsi Nell’istante Presente (Moving to transform into the present) by street artist Never 2501 was made from dead trees and roots collected in a forest and put together without tools or nails. It was located in the garden of the Museo Archeologico Paolo Giovio and celebrated the coming of fall. Sadly, it was a temporary installation created in 2012 so only photos keep this creepy contemporary art installation alive.

10 creepy contemporary art

Chapel by Wim Delvoye uses x-rays to create its pagan stain glass windows Wim says he takes a shrewd pleasure in abolishing the distinctions between beauty and ugliness. I would say he succeeded in this installation, wouldn’t you?

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The Skeleton Jungle Gym by Peter Riss could be just the scariest jungle gym EVER. Located at the Heilig-Kreuz church in Munich, Germany it has to be one of the creepiest things any kid would ever want to play on.

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Speaking of creepiest things ever, this gnarled and burnt wood looking sculpture is actually a ceramic piece by Christopher David White. Creepy it might be but I still love the scaffolding holding the arm open.

13 creepy contemporary art

This static installation is from the “Hollow” series by Motohiko Odani that the artist defined with the following description;

“A work is created by integrating multi-layered keywords.

– Transparency, the truth of existence
– Sense of pain accompanied in the state of ecstasy
– Jellyfish are made of 95% water. The shape of water can also be understood as the shape of jellyfish.
– To make a sculpture not out of the object itself, but out of its offshoot or division, like a doppelganger or a reflection in the mirror.
– For each piece of sculpture, configure G onto the various parts in order to create a state of neutral buoyancy resembling underwater. Cubism of G.
– Slow motion model of anti-gravity
– Apollo and Daphne = Body transforming into vegetation
– Folds of air
– Shape of aura, shape of presence, shape of ghosts

– Vertical axis = In rising and falling, there is not only the state of physical ecstasy, but also the spiritual. There lies the dynamism of life, death and eros.”

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While I admire the craft and creativity behind Ronit Baranga’s tableware, these creep me out. Definitely contemporary and very, very creepy these are also far more art than function.

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A little less creepy these Ronit Baranga’s containers still make me cringe when I look at then, how about you?

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The Black Ghost of Klaipeda by Svajunas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas is located on a dock near the Memel castle remains in Lithuania. Made from bronze, it is 2.4m or 7.8ft H. Without a face this slithering man creature is definitely creepy and ominous. Based in a historic legend, “Black Ghost” was down by the docks when a castle guard saw him. The ghost asked about the town’s grain and timber supply wondering if it was sufficient. The guard replied that yes, they did indeed have a good supply at which point the ghost issued a warning that the stocks would soon run low. After the warning the ghost vanished. This cautioning saved the town from an impending famine. Cool story.

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Here’s the back view of The Black Ghost.

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This silhouette knife art by Li Hongbo is called Wasteland and while it not really creepy, the insinuation of a knife paired with a skeleton can conjure up some creepy thoughts.

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There is something extraordinarily brilliant about this piece by Javier Perez. This creepy contemporary art is called Trans (Formaciones) and is a bronze, polyester resin sculpture that is absolutely mesmerizing. I can’t stop looking at it. Is it a tree spirit? If so, a good one or an evil one? Is it a person transforming into a tree or vice versa? What do you think?

20 creepy contemporary art

Kind of morbid but I like it! By street artist J.ME. ( ̄ε(# ̄)

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