A long time ago I saw a painting by Mark Ryden that just stuck to my brain. His art is really peculiar. It looks like pop art, or something attractive and easy for the eye to look at, but then on a closer look, you see all the creepy and bizarre details. He combines religious symbols, fluffy pets and toys, children and flowers with slabs of meat and pictures of the devil.
His paintings are quite challenging. They make me stop and think about the society we're living in. It's actually true: the dead flesh of animals is neatly sold at supermarkets right next to aisles full of cute, cuddly toys for kids. Little children are fed blood and meat - products of ghastly violence - on spoons that have Disney princesses on them. We hang religious pictures on our wall or wear meditation beads around our neck yet never think of God. Things may look all clean and pink and smily in our western world yet there is a price for everything, price that we don't want to pay or think of. Well I could go on and on about how his art affects me.
I'm curious, what thoughts went through your mind when looking at these paintings?