Gary Fernández

The name Gary Fernández has started to appear often enough to warrant a closer look. Fernández is a freelance illustrator and graphic artist based in Madrid, Spain, and currently living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His client list is impressive, ranging from advertising heavies DDB, McCann Erickson, JWT and Grey to superbrands such as Coca Cola, Nokia and Camel. His illustrations have appeared in numerous magazines and books.

Fernández’s intricate, retro-esque illustrations marry of a liquid stroke with a rigid tension, which in turn projects an underlying seething mood and latent danger. For some reason, I’m thinking Dadaism and Salvador Dali mixed with the sixties’ London vibes and New York’s retro fashion illustrations. At the same time, some of his work is almost whimsical and merry; evoking images from Cirque du Soleil and old European circus posters. Whatever you see, you are irresistibly drawn into his world.

A fantastic recent example is his elaborate illustration book titled Introduction to Fantastic Girls, Future Landscapes & the Most Beautiful Birds Ever Seen, available -- possibly -- on his site in limited quantities.

Gary Fernández is also the founder and creative lead of the T-shirt brand VelvetBanana. The name VelvetBanana draws its parts from The Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol’s “banana cover” for their first album The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967).

Fernández started VelvetBanana in 2005 with the goal of redefining the “Art Rock T-shirt” by producing thematic collections.

The themes capture certain moods, songs or bands. The latest, Collection #3, is described as having “electrifying, abrasive, furious and hypnotic graphics full of energy” although the photo book of the collection appears indoorsy and tame, with clean yet fashionably brooding models photographed against a pristine white background.

The T-shirts are available at Urban Outfitters blog.urbanoutfitters.com among others.