The Art of Stranski

The Art of Stranski is a high-calibre art book that asks more of its audience than mere casual viewing. Recently funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign, this hardcover book captures years of illustrations created by artist Lorenzo Etherington.

Etherington creates a unique world – one that features beautiful bombshells, militarized animals, and a backdrop best seen rather than explained. This dystopian setting lures the reader in but provides little explanation,  and that’s part of the book’s charm.

The book is light on text. There is no storyline to guide the reader, nor is there a backstory to inform. A translation of the Portuguese word saudade at the beginning of the book is the only clue to the reader, other than the exceptional illustrations – it’s a brilliant way to approach a book about a fictional world.

Readers of The Art of Stranski will no doubt form their own interpretations of each illustration and the story each tells.  As Etherington himself explains in the project’s Kickstarter video, “The artwork from Stranski hints at a bizarre, lost, animated movie”.