While in recent years Canadian artist Marcel Dzama has ventured into three-dimensional work and film, as The Jealous Curator notes, it’s his earlier drawings that feel incredibly appropriate for revisiting on Halloween. Think the surreal world found in a Grimm’s fairytale, but made even darker, more subversive, by the Beatrix Potter-style illustrations and subtle palette. It’s like something from your childhood nightmares. There are talking trees, gun-toting girl scouts in masks, men in bear costumes, and lots and lots of bats. Click through to check out a selection of our favorite pieces, and if you’re a fan of Dzama’s quirky aesthetic, pick up a copy of this lovely collection of his work that McSweeney’s published back in 2008.
Marcel Dzama, Untitled, 2004. 14 x 11 Inches Ink, watercolor and root beer on paper. Image courtesy of Richard Heller Gallery
Marcel Dzama, Fearful Lineup, 2004. 16 x 20 Inches oil, acrylic, mixed media and paper collage on canvas. Image courtesy of Richard Heller Gallery
Marcel Dzama, Untitled, 2004. 22 x 14 Inches Ink, watercolor and root beer on paper. Image courtesy of Richard Heller Gallery
Marcel Dzama, Last Winter Here, 2004. 20 x 16 Inches. Image courtesy of Richard Heller Gallery
Marcel Dzama, Untitled, 2003. 14 x 22 Inches Ink, watercolor and root beer on paper. Image courtesy of Richard Heller Gallery
Marcel Dzama, 100,000 Years of Revenge, 2004. 11 x 14 Inches oil, acrylic, mixed media and paper collage on canvas. Image courtesy of Richard Heller Gallery
Image credit: Marcel Dzama
Marcel Dzama, Untitled, 2002. Ink, watercolor, and root beer concentrate on paper, 11 x 14″ (27.9 x 35.6 cm). The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection Gift. © 2012 Marcel Dzama. Image courtesy of MoMA
Marcel Dzama, Untitled, 2002. Ink, watercolor, and root beer concentrate on paper, 11 x 14″ (27.9 x 35.6 cm). The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection Gift. © 2012 Marcel Dzama. Image courtesy of MoMA
Marcel Dzama, Untitled, 2002. Ink, watercolor, and root beer concentrate on paper, 11 x 14″ (27.9 x 35.6 cm). The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection Gift. © 2012 Marcel Dzama. Image courtesy of MoMA