The fantastic worlds of the future are, of course, amazing. But what if you look at it with a different look? What if only the remnants of that world remain? Long -abandoned stations, rusting giant robots and unknown origin of the car, which obviously went through a lot, but remained just frightening wonders for ordinary people. All this is a description of the usual post -apocalyptic plot, but this is how everything works in the imagination of the Swedish illustrator Simona Stolenhaga. And notes of nostalgia and even some longing make his illustrations closer in spirit [We in Russia definitely not get used to gray, foggy landscapes].
The charm of his work in connection with reality. Simon draws inspiration from the environment, local landscapes and children’s memories. By the way, he is not just an illustrator. Stolenhag writes to his paintings, many of which are based on real events from his life. I immediately acquired all the books in my collection and is ready to once again share the history of one artist.
Simon Stolenhaga’s paintings cause a certain dissonance. It would seem that you are looking at a regular scene, with a simple forest landscape, but something does not give you rest, because there is something frightening-mystical. Things so harmoniously fit there, unusual for the eye.
Some of you may remember the work of the Polish artist Yakub Rozalski, whose art became the basis for the game Iron Harvest . But Yakub focuses on a historical context, in the hope that many will be interested in studying this topic. And someone will remember even Victor Antonov. But, with all the love of Stolenhag for the Half-Life series, he became interested in science fiction much later. While Victor designed City-17, he painted the desert with gouache.
Therefore, regarding influence, you need to pay tribute to other stunning illustrators-freeisters-this Sid Foreign Ministry And Ralph McCoori [Running blades, throne/Star Wars]. And the work in the game and the film industry-for the passion of the SS robots, which he so skillfully enters his plots.
Simon is connected with the games from childhood, which is not surprising. In the book Things from the flood He shares his stories about how he met "Computer moron", Which half an hour after acquaintance became his best friend, literally showing him his computer and books about robots.
In the spring of the 95th, we dutifully waited for a copy of Doom. When the last disk was ready, he asked us if we would like to see something more abruptly. (Cooler than sawing demons of a chainsaw? Impossible!)
Together with their friend Tommy Salomonson, they https://nonukcasinosites.co.uk/review/bc-game-casino/ themselves made toys themselves. Nothing special, just flash drives that still live in the memory of many. For example, Metro. Siberia, in which you travel through the underground tunnels [as they themselves say – Retro Soviet Style Gravity Tunnel Game]. And the classic platformer Ripple Dot Zero, as a tribute to the 16-bit era. Simon was responsible for art and music. Yes, he is also a musician. He wrote the whole soundtrack for the game Operation Smash, And somewhere on the Internet, fan tracks were even found, written by him to the Universe of the game Sonic the Hedgehog .
He also made juicy advertising posters and some concepts for the scientific and fantastic game No Man’s Sky . Yes, these bright arts were definitely able to fulfill the role of a certain siren, calling for the game.
Halcification of the loop – rumbling of gravitron.
In reviews to the film E.T. I threw one phrase: ""Never return to the courtyards of your childhood". As if plunged there, you can destroy your warm memories. But it is there that Simon is constantly returning. He spent quite a lot of time on the island of Foringsjo in Sweden and his environs had a huge impact on his work, for example, to take a book Bikes from the loop. The people were popularly called the Research Institute of High Energy Physics, which influenced the inhabitants and their life. To fold the picture together, the table -haired raised a bunch of archives and talked with old friends. It turned out a lot of cool, strange stories of that period, and illustrations only enhance this effect. Landscapes strewn with faulty machines and pieces of metal, abandoned echospheres in which the wind responds with a rumble, robots that committed the revolution and somewhere deep underground-the loop pulsates.
And from stories about difficult childhood, we are dipped in a world where cars were struck by cancer. Is the author trying to intimidate us with these stories? Oh yes, the goal of catching fear on the reader was definitely with him. But despite the fact that in the book Things from the flood there is a disaster, for a teenager everything is somehow usually. He has problems more important than leaks in a loop, for example, the first acne or the perfect hair styling before a party. There will also be a bunch of girls!
There are a bunch of videos in which illustrations come to life and only one arises: it must be a film or game, simply obliged! A table role -playing game was created fully on the bikes, and Amazon Video even shot the series of the same name. Simon helped only in key points, completely trusting the creators.
The author of Titan Chaser [Stas Shostak], as his project, also seems to give a tribute to the diet. The adventure in which you have to track down the titans wandering around the district. Only you, car, radio, titans and fog … A lot of fog! Simon knows about this project and is very grateful for him.
There was one more interesting case when the fans of Stolenhaga, seeing the trailer for the game Generation Zero, found it a collabo with the artist. Simon was extremely unhappy that he received a huge number of questions about his participation in the creation of a game, to which he had nothing to do with. Actions Generation Zero take place in rural areas in Sweden in the 80s, where robots live. Curious, because this is one of the main topics of the artist’s illustrations. Simon is familiar with the developers and coming to their office, no one said in a word about creating the game at that moment, so similar to his setting. But no one has any complaints about each other. The game project itself was not the most successful, but many bought an unusual topic and this Stolenhagian spirit. But I personally like the most when robots are mysterious damaged wanderers, and not murder cars.
We are rusting worshiping rain.
Wires, plastic, steel and lubrication turned into an impenetrable organic mass, into something collected not as it fell, but for a specific purpose, and this unimaginable mass slowly swayed. As if breathing.
I note that Stolenhag learns the world through the prism of the camera and thereby "allows reality to inspire it". Traveling through North California, a huge number of pictures were taken, which eventually became the basis for the book Electric state. Book events take place in America 1997. About the world that has experienced a technogenic catastrophe. Here, the technique quickly becomes unusable and abandoned cars that will never function, lie in ruins. Are the main characters there are people? Rather, just creatures with "Lazanya»In the head.
When Ash went out with a Japanese translation, you know who was wildly rejoiced at this event? Fanner of the work of Stolenhaga – Hideo Kojima. I thought here, because there is a kind of connection [not chiral, of course] between Death Stranding and the history of Stolenehag. There is a post -apocalyptic world in which a disaster occurred and the main character needs to cross America. Only in DS do the technique also destroy ongoing rains.
Combines geniuses and common love for various references to pop culture in their works. Stolenhag believes that this is a great way to cause a sense of nostalgia in people. And the soundtrack Death Stranding It would be great to approach the artist’s illustrations. Right now it plays from me on the background, by the way, so I assure you – a great combination.
No matter how terrible what you are running from, something worse awaits you here.
When the sun appeared before us, he told Charlie that it is actually not green, just because of ammonia in the atmosphere it looks like that.
When the main character Electric state get to the coast, we will sharply overcome the attack of strangulation. We are transferred to the viscous world Labyrinth. Of course, Simon assures that the pandemic did not affect him at all, but the world Labyrinth shows such a striking difference from his past works that you involuntarily ask the question – it certainly did not affect? A rather cruel story came out: Black spheres Gradually poisoned life on Earth, the air was saturated with ammonia. In the illustrations, bizarre structures, walking robots and other extraterrestrial creatures are preserved in the illustrations. But what a powerful, but at the same time poisoned atmosphere there is there. During each sortie of heroes to the surface with research missions, which have long been routine for them personally, goosebumps will run from you. Mostly from curiosity.
In an interview, Simon said that sometimes it seems to him that he hates his aesthetics. But still cool, when you have such a powerful influence and are part of a certain movement.
The ability of the table -haired even from an ordinary agricultural machine or any other equipment to create an unusual curiosity and enter it into your world – is truly fantastic. I am sure that we will hear his name more than once. Moreover, the Russo brothers are going to film him Electric state, And the artist also prepares a new graphic novel Europa Mecano.
I personally recommend reading from myself Bikes from the loop And Electric state. Or just try to be inspired by attractive, incredible and frightening paintings.