New Modern Shunga Art By Jeff Faerber (NSFW)

Text Balloons

These ‘explanatory’ texts are inspired on the ancient Japanese art of ukiyo-e, also used in the erotic genre shunga, that can be compared to the text balloons used in contemporary comics. I asked the artist: “Is the additional text in the paintings inspired on the Japanese text added in ukiyo-e prints?

Jeff Faerber: “Yes, I noticed that there is a lo of text on the original prints, so I assumed they told some form of story telling (I don’t read Japanese). I liked the visual of several sentences of text, so I started to give my pieces longer titles and use the title as a visual device. Also, I really liked the titles I came up with, but realized that no one pays attention to the title. I know I never do. So if I added the title to the piece at least it would visually be tied to the painting.”

Anal-fixation

Striking is that many of the protagonists in these new paintings are multi-tasking using modern devices (often iPhones) and a lot of them seem to be anally fixated and prefer leg tattoos. The couple in the fifth piece is even recording themselves on a webcam. In short, the artist gives us an accurate (and for some confronting) picture of today.

Scroll down and judge yourself…

‘Having successfully navigated the Byzantine network of social queues, a couple find solace whilst bonding as Beats headphones deliver a crescendo of syncopated rhythm‘ (2017)

‘A java script coder and a left-hander endure the results of the dating app’s algorithms which correctly projected that their libidinous prerogatives would overlap by 97%‘ (2017)

‘A schism in the triumvirate occurs as the dissenting faction streams the latest offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a 4G Wi-Fi Dongle‘ (2017)

‘Hearts twitter, spring blossoms willow in the wind, as the online penpals honeyslut33 and dirkthedestroyer666 rendezvous for the first time IRL‘ (2017)

‘Passionately engaging with a lust for capitalistic gains, a maiden and lad embrace commodified web-cammed coitus‘ (2017)

‘One of our two protagonists inadvertently transmits their ardent expressions, both sentimental and prurient, to familial relations via a sex dialed refurbished LG Nexus 5 D820‘ (2017)

‘A mezzo soprano vociferously engages her vocal cords, humming Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 in A minor, whilst a teapot whistles in an augmented fifth‘ (2017)

‘Utilizing the scientific method, a trio gather empirical evidence over the veracity of the saying “what is good for the goose is good for the gander‘ (2017)