In 2004, I had the privilege of having a tremendously talented young artist in my public speaking class, although I did not know it at the time. Megan Frauenhoffer was quiet, reserved, and a good student. Like most of her peers, public speaking made her visibly nervous. But buried in her head were innumerable images that would make people like Edward Gorey or Edgar Allan Poe ecstatic.

My mom will probably have a cow, or at least a gangly goat, upon viewing these macabre visions. But I think that is the point. I like art that prompts a bodily reaction – be it revulsion or excitement or anxiety or awe. Art that passively hangs on a wall without making its presence known is not nearly as interesting as art that promises to damage your psyche or alter your person forever.

I first saw Megan’s work on Facebook a year ago or so, and was absolutely blown away by it. Like Frida Kahlo, she creates self-portraits that are surreal and upsetting. They are of this Earth, and yet of another world at the same time. A few weeks ago, I wrote her and asked if I could host a virtual gallery of her work on my site. She was kind enough to oblige. Megan was gracious enough to supply me with both images and media information, as well as expository notes about the origins of the work.

Follow her on Twitter @meganfrau if you know what is good for you. She regularly tweets links to all sorts of mind-bending images. Like my wife, Megan is a twin, and she lives in a black cloud that is now lingering somewhere over the horizon where fact and fiction meet and make merry. Visit her on the Web here.

Bird’s Nest (Pink Version) / 21” H x 16” W / Silkscreen print, color pencil, conté, spray paint, tea stain /2009
“I would revisit birds in my art several time over, particularly predatory or scavenger types of birds like crows or vultures.  This particular work plays on the title with a menacing interpretation, which is softened by the color palette.”

Trebling Effect / 30” H x 34” W /Silksceen and relief prints, collage / 2009

“Something that I developed in this particular print that I continually work with now is cutting up the print and collaging several prints into one new image. The composition didn’t work originally when I created this print, but when I added collage of the other prints to this, it pushed the meaning of the work towards a more mythological read (the three heads especially do this).”

The Wound / 27” H x 13” W / Graphite, Spray paint, ink, color pencil, tea stain / 2008

“I came across a dead animal in my backyard that was in the process of being picked apart by hornets/bees. I found the imagery compelling as the swarm started with the mouth and proceed to clean off the animal to the bone.”

The Beast Within / 19” H x 13” / Digital Print / 2010 

“This piece echoes the fairy tale of Red Riding Hood, but with the interpretation of Red rebirthing from the beast’s stomach, wearing a new kind of hood.”

Departure / 24” H x 20” W / Silkscreen / 2011 

“I was planning on using my dog in my prints as a mythological creature likened to Japan’s fabled kitsune. She was a spry, elderly dog – magical in her own way. The week that I was preparing to make a run of prints, she became fatally ill and I had to put her down. This image was inspired to be a tribute to her and the bond that we shared in the short time we had together.”

Aversion / 12” H x 10” W / Silkscreen prints, collage / 2011

 ”I revisited collage with this series of prints. I wanted expand on the idea of monsters but also play on the notion of printmaking’s expectations of having a perfect set of prints with each print looking exactly like the one before. What happens to the imperfect prints that don’t make the edition? They become my little monsters.”

The Monroe Family Bed / 8” H x 8” W / Ink and Photoshop / 2011

“Illustration created for Paper Darts Press/ John Jodzio’s Get In If You Want To Live short story collection. Illustration was for the short story, ‘Monroe Family Bed Wishes To Die.’”

 

Ballroom of Thieves / 9.5” H x 9.5” W / Wintergreen Transfer and ink / 2008 

“Caves became a motif for my art as a place that indicated a dreamy, horror-filled psychological space where the figure was invaded by other creatures.”

All Good Things to Those Who Wait / 28” H x 20” W / Graphite, ink / 2011

“This image begins a new set of works that will explore the animalistic impulses in human nature –  the side that contemplates revenge fantasies and gives in to aggression.”

Metamorphosis / 24” H x 18” W / Silkscreen Print / 2011

“This piece is somewhat inspired by the Franz Kafka short story of the same title. I was interested in the sibling relationship between Gregor Samsa and his sister and how it deteriorated from his transformation.”