Spark For You: Mash-Ups In Art

Posted by Emily Orpin on 6/12/10   |   Categorized as For Buyers,Handmade Feature,Read

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Quirky Creatures" by Irit Cohen , Los Angeles


We all know about mash-ups in music – where an entirely new song is created from parts of other songs (ps. a big hello to my fellow Gleeks!) – but what about mash-ups in craft?

On Etsy, you’ll find a bunch of people who get their creative fix by mixing things up – putting things together that perhaps where never meant to be together, creating hybrids.  The results are sometimes macabre and sometimes silly; often unsettling and almost always compelling.

I’m not sure why I’m drawn to these surreal mix-ups, but I do find them fascinating.  Maybe the unexpected combination of things helps to open my mind and trigger my own creative spark?

Or perhaps it’s the invitation to enter an alternate universe.  As artist Robin Van Valkenburgh (aka The Runny Bunny) says ‘I have never left Wonderland‘.  Indeed!



Maltida Marrie by The Runny Bunny





Artichoke Daffodil by Bengami



Maybe it’s the opportunity to laugh at the ridiculousness of life, to view the world with tongue firmly in cheek?



Little Burger Monster by Boopsie Daisy





Sir Dino Pineapple by Sandra Eterovic



Or maybe it’s just a chance to indulge the side of us that doesn’t always want things to be ‘nice’, that doesn’t mind a bit of strangeness?



Sometimes a Giraffe Hops in the Birds Nest by Melabo





Octopus Girl by Fable & Fury



Or maybe it’s just a great opportunity to really confuse the kids?



Bert the BumbleBear by Fur Will Fly





Chihuahua Puffin by Lucy Roberts



What do you think? Do these mash-ups draw you in too?

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  • http://twitter.com/quirkyirit @quirkyirit

    Thank you for including my Quirky WolfOwl Emily , I think you forgot to put my name under the picture.
    It's "Quirky Creatures" by Irit Cohen , Los Angeles .

    I absolutely love surreal stuff and quirky, funny stuff and was always drawn to it. DaDa art is very much like it . I like the fun and luck of self importance of this kind of art .

    Thanks again , irit

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/ejorpin ejorpin

    Hi Irit – thanks for your comment and interesting perspective. You are right – the lack of self importance is yet another reason why I find this art so appealing

    Apologies that the credit was left out, we have rectified this now.

  • http://twitter.com/FableAndFury @FableAndFury

    Emily, thank you so much for including my Octopus Girl necklace! I'm so fond of hybrids. Ray Caesar creates gorgeous illustrations, some of which are hybrids. I love the Runny Bunny piece here! Great feature!

  • http://twitter.com/samsstuff @samsstuff

    I love mixing things together to make something new! Some of my favorite artists do exactly this. Thanks for showing us some of the strange & wonderful "mash ups" that can be found on Etsy.

    (Just to let you know, the link to the "Octopus Girl" necklace doesn't seem to go through.)

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/ejorpin ejorpin

    Thanks for your comment and thanks for letting me know!

    Here's the link to the Octopus Girl necklace: http://www.etsy.com/listing/47785257/chelsea-octo… We're trying to fix the link now :)

  • https://www.octopidesign.com Octopi Design

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