Boris Artzybasheff’s WWII art

Friday, May 29th, 2009 • Horrorthon Posts

Danish political cartoonist Boris Artzybasheff was heavily influenced by the then-contemporary surrealist movement (from what I see, I’m guessing Di Chirico and Dali). In his collection As I See, while discussing modern warfare, he wrote

In their long search for better tools and weapons, men at last have found the way of locking a pinch of cosmic force in a sheath of silver-white metal… as well as the means for making it go boom. Any time they wish, or think they must, men can touch off an orgasmic flash, making the oceans boil and seethe with fire, making the soil rise up in crimson dust… Perhaps after the cloud drifts thrice around it, the earth will emerge once more free of living things… In the hush of night this comely planet will go on waltzing in its ordained orbit until God awakens from His sleep and resolves it back to the primordial elements. I try to shake this thought off; it may be that a healthy planet should have no more life upon it than a well-kept dog has fleas; but what posesses the flea to concoct its own flea powder?

Anyway check out these incredible pictures here and here! It’s WWII as you’ve never seen it before; perfect for the fine tastes of the Horrorthon crowd. (From the always-excellent ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive.)