victorian

“Congratulations, You Have Gained Immortality,” … A Commission by Doktor A

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Have you ever wanted to achieve immortality? To develop an immunity to death, walk through the centuries and experience the world? Well, Doktor A has just the thing to fix you up. Following two years of experimentation, he recently completed his newest invention for one of his largest collectors: the Asphyx Enticement and Containment Engine.

The device traps the spirit of the dead (or Asphyx) and the wearer reaps the rewards. It’s inspired by character Hugo Cunningham’s iteration from 70s horror flick, The Asphyx. According to the Dok, the Asphyx appears in Greek mythology as a sort of Angel of Death. It appears at the moment of demise to seek release from its eternal pain by possessing the dying soul of its victim.

… Well, aren’t we all sorts of morbid this afternoon! For those daring enough to take it for a spin, follow these simple instructions:

The Asphyx Containment Engine is crafted from a life-size resin human skull, vintage brass lamp parts, vintage leather straps, a dynamo lighting system, found objects and a ton of materials ranging from metals, to resins to rubber. The device sits 14″ tall. To the lucky recipient: let us know if it works.

More photos after the jump!

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Doktor A’s ‘A Postcard from New Yorkshire’ Solo @ myplasticheart 10.12

Oooo, this oughta be good. It’s been a little over a year since Doktor A’s stellar UK solo exhibition, Mr. Whistlecraft’s Tarnished Daydreams, and he’s now tuning up for a retrobotic steampunk soiree at myplasticheart in NYC this October with A Postcard from New Yorkshire.

“I will have some more adventurous pieces on show,” Dok writes from his studio in the UK. “I have been pushing some boundaries and learning some new skills for this one. More involved and intricate constructions than I have undertaken in the past.”

The show will feature more original creations than custom toys, as well as a new series of ink drawings to complement the dimensional pieces. The Doktor also promises some surprises as he explores new avenues and territories that have been on his bucket list for some time.

A Postcard from New Yorkshire opens Oct. 12th with a reception from 7pm to 10pm. And yes, the Doktor will be in to visit!

Stranger Factory Presents: Travis Louie’s ‘SPIRITS’ 8.3


Travis Louie has always been a dreamer. Through the tiny, hyper-realistic drawings and notes in his journals, he’s painted a world inhabited by human oddities, mythical beings and otherworldly characters, all rooted in Victorian and Edwardian times and set to the tune of film noir and German expressionist cinematography.

And next month, they’re headed to Albuquerque.

Opening August 3rd is Spirits, a collection of new two- and three-dimensional works inspired by early American Spiritualism. But Travis Louie style. So expect the haunting apparitions, suited skeletons and stylish Cyclops.

An opening reception will be held at Stranger Factory from 6pm to 9pm Friday. Travis will be there! Join us as we delve into the realm of the supernatural and indulge in our curiosity of the dead…

** A rendering workshop will also be held in conjunction with the event; details to come!

Travis Louie was born in Queens, NY, about a mile from the site of the 1964 World’s Fair. His early childhood was spent drawing and watching “Atomic Age” sci-fi and horror movies. His paintings spawn from tiny drawings and notes in his journals, where he’s created his own imaginary world rooted in Victorian and Edwardian times and influenced by Film Noir and German Expressionist cinematography. A world inhabited by human oddities, mythical beings, and otherworldly characters, Travis’ subjects appear to have had their formal portraits taken to mark their existence and place in society.

The underlining thread that connects all these characters is the unusual circumstances that shape who they were and how they lived. Some of their origins are a complete mystery while others leave subtle cues: a man is cursed by a goat; a strange, furry being is discovered sleeping in a hedge; an engine driver can’t stop vibrating in his sleep, and so forth. Using inventive techniques of painting with acrylic washes and simple textures on smooth boards, Travis creates portraits from an alternate universe that seemingly may or may not have existed.

A Preview of Travis Louie’s ‘Secret Pet Society’

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Grips & Otis, 2012, acrylic on board, 12 x 9″

Travis Louie’s new solo show, ‘The Secret Pet Society’, opens this Wednesday at William Baczek Fine Arts and we’ve managed to get our hot little hands on a few sneak peeks in anticipation of the event. Tendrils and tentacles, sods and swamp things … they’re all here and compliments of the  fantastically fashionable and hyper-realistic realm that is Travis Louie’s imaginarium. Enjoy!

The Secret Pet Society opens May 2nd through June 2nd. A reception with the artist will be held May 5th from 5pm to 7pm. A print release of ‘Julia and her Swamp Friend’ (below), will coincide with the event.

Julia & Her Swamp Friend, 2012, acrylic on board, 20 x 16″

Julia discovered him while she was collecting red-spotted salamanders in the swamp behind her parent’s farm house. She mistook the crown of branch-shaped tendrils on its head as a thicket of dead birch trees. The creature turned out to be quite harmless.  She named him Phil and took him home as a pet. Feeding Phil became a problem as he continued to grow. When she first brought him home, he was quite large at 8 feet in length. As the years passed, he grew to an unmanageable size of 35 feet and consumed about 100 lbs of trout and salmon each day. Just to take care of him, she started her own fish hatchery. He eventually outlived Julia and she included him in her last will and testament. Her grandchildren inherited both the fish hatchery and Phil.

Billy & the Mystery Sod, 2012, acrylic on board, 7 x 5″

It Grew From the Brambles, 2012, acrylic on board, 14 x 11″ 

Miss Lucy & Her “Hat Monkey”, 2012, acrylic on board, 14 x 11″

The Reluctant Bee Keeper, 2012, acrylic on board, 10 x 8″