Ukio-explosion

Artist: SabreToothFairy
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Card: US$3.42
Print: from US$17.10

Ukio-explosion

I should have called this one something like “Sorry Hokusai”. I have a bad habit of butchering fine art in my more ‘fine art’ works, but I do only do so because the associations people make with those artworks are essential to the point being made. I guess it’s a bit like trying to say something in English when the only word for it is in Japanese. Sometimes it’s just better to nick a word from another language than try to come up with your own.

This picture is a little anachronistic, as it pictures 16th century Japanese peasants, running from the blast front of the Nagasaki bomb (actually taken from a photo of the explosion itself) as Apache helicopters make a beeline for the horizon (machines not used until the Vietnam war).

This is all about the clash of eastern and western values, particularly in Japan, which has always been a bit a war with itself over how much of western culture to embrace.

You can’t see it at all on the image at this size, but the whole thing as been textured and bled to look like ink on paper.

Ukio-explosion belongs to the following groups:

Graphic Arts and Japanfluence

kookylane, about 1 year ago

super!! LOVE IT. dunno what else to say. its great!
LostBoy1, about 1 year ago

Agreed…This Rocks!!!
SabreToothFairy, about 1 year ago

Hey, thanks guys! I wasn’t so sure how this one would be received, given the subject matter, but it was, despite appearences, a very complicated piece to make, so I really appreciate your feedback. It makes all the hours of toying with the clone stamp and gaussian blur effects worthwhile! x
sjem, about 1 year ago

An incredibly poignant social commentry which has so many layers of meaning. Seriously impressive and technically superb.

Wlecome to RB BTW. I think you’ll get along just fine …
SabreToothFairy, about 1 year ago

Tanks dude, a friendly welcome means a lot! ;)
Lucan Industri..., about 1 year ago

Fucking fantastic. A visionary in our midst. Welcome to the fold.
Danny, about 1 year ago

I’m always the last to stumble on these brilliant new guys.
What everyone else said above and a lot more.
I feel a touch of Jamie Hewlett but not.
I love it.
Welcome to RB.
Your in good company
Check the profiles who have commented here and you should be proud.
cheers
Except me I suck
Jessica Tremp, about 1 year ago

beautiful
Scott Robinson, about 1 year ago

Oh hell yeah!! Something speaking to me here…

Welcome to the fold!!
Belinda Leopold, about 1 year ago

Excellent work-can’t wait to see more :)
davoid, about 1 year ago

Hey SabreToothFairy, welcome.

It does look like you did a lot of work getting the look of it right. It is very good. I would love to see it printed on rice paper or similar in a very large size.

I hope you sell a lot.
Juilee P Pryor, about 1 year ago

Wow. This is a great picture. Wonderful style and beautifully done. Stunning actually. I’d love to see it on really nice heavy rag paper. Well done.
akustikstudio, about 1 year ago

very banksyesque with the choppers, love the composition and colours
beautifu;l
Hung Lin, about 1 year ago

great image, love the colour.
Naomi Kevin, about 1 year ago

So much has been said in this picture…..no more needs to be said by me. great work.
SabreToothFairy, about 1 year ago

I must admit, St Banksy was in my mind when I did this one. I guess i did it on my mac because i was too lazy/chicken/broke to do it on a wall.

Thanks again to everybody – I’m so stoked at the great reception this image has had and I’m seriously flattered that so many talented artists are adding my images to their favourites! It really means a lot y’all!

xxx
Danny, about 1 year ago

Banksy inspires a lot of people around here
Me included
Janice Elanor ..., about 1 year ago

well done. a very potent design
davecurtain, about 1 year ago

love it – look forward to seeing more of your stuff
Evangeline Than, about 1 year ago

Looks really good as a card, I must say! Very cool stripe/panel effect.
Lucan Industri..., 12 months ago

I want to add this to my favourites again. But the system won’t let me. Bastard.
Jarko, 11 months ago

Different and great!
Bryan Villamin, 10 months ago

Love the different composition. It works very very effectively. Nicely done sabretoothfairy
Anselmo Pelembe, 10 months ago

nice work
Firedrake, 9 months ago

Love this one, well done!
bobdollar, 9 months ago

This is fantastic. a really great piece, good work!
Steven Sandner, 9 months ago

they actually had apaches in service for vietnam?!
ODE2EDO, 6 months ago

man im still trippin over how fantastic this is. It still grabs me to this day.