Piece of the Week: ‘The Ruins’ by Myke Amend

Once in a while, you come across a Redbubble artwork that is so spectacular, you have to step back and wonder how you’ve missed out on viewing it for so long. When I stumbled across “The Ruins” by Myke Amend who uploads art under the moniker InsectsAngels (which he shares with his artistic teammate Beth Bajema), I felt as if I had one the lottery, or at least a very interesting scratch-off.

“The Ruins”, an original acrylic painting on Bristol Board draws influence from Da Vinci, HP Lovecraft, Jules Verne, and the Steampunk movement. It’s interesting that this artwork came out of a collaboration between Myke and Beth that was originally a published zine called Insects and Angels that ran from 1998-2010.

As I look closely at “The Ruins” it’s clear that this artwork is not from this time; futuristic Mars-esque landscapes merge with monumental Kremlin-pods atop geography from a place not found on our earth. The airship taking center stage could be from the future; hinting at a post-apocalyptic mayhem in which we return to industrial technology from last century. Or we could be looking at a scene portraying the pioneering of new planets. Perhaps it’s a combination of both? Maybe it’s an exploration of the themes of destruction and renewal, or technology and geography, or survival and extinction. Maybe it’s meant to bring us a breathtaking glimpse at our own imagined future.

We’re not entirely sure. But one thing’s for certain, “The Ruins” by Myke Amend captures our collective imaginations and takes us far away from the daily grind. Therefore it’s our Piece of the Week.