Fairytale Stories Gone Wrong 

Don Ivan Punchatz made this oil painting, “Fairytale Stories Gone Wrong,” using traditional methods. The application of oil paint allows for extremely fine detail, and is also very forgiving as a medium. It can be reworked and refined almost endlessly. Notice how the artist builds up the forms with layers of color, creating a sense of depth and texture. But what's really fascinating here is the way Punchatz uses these highly refined techniques to portray a very unrefined subject: classic fairytale characters in a state of total mayhem. The amount of work involved in achieving this level of detail and finish is considerable, and stands in stark contrast to the content of the image. In a sense, Punchatz gives us a very polished, painterly vision of anti-establishment chaos, challenging our expectations about both technique and subject matter. He asks us to consider the relationship between high and low, order and disorder, in the world of art and beyond.