Laura New is an artist and illustrator from London, now living and working on the edge of a fir forest in Wiltshire. Her work brings to life an array of eerie fairy-tale characters—monsters, tiny psychopaths, gremlins, and ghosts—that seem to step straight out of dark and twisted narratives. Her creations are heavily influenced by the fairy-tale childhood films of her generation as well as the very first edition of Grimms fairy tales (1812/15) with their distinct lack of embellishment, the clumsiness in their multiple transcriptions and the flippancy of tragic, grotesque and brutal endings.
New's work features a distinctive blend of dark whimsy and gothic surrealism and explore the delicate balance between innocence and the macabre, intertwining the familiar with the fantastical. The fairy-tale monsters and hybrids she creates reflect a world where childhood fears and fantasies merge, producing characters that are as captivating as they are unsettling, rooted in the same dark narratives that inspired them.
For "Art Car Boot Fair Goes into Space," Laura has created a small series of miniature oil paintings continuing her exploration of whimsical and eerie themes, but with a playful cosmic twist. These paintings blend New's signature dark whimsy with a playful nod to space exploration. The miniature format and intricate framing make each piece feel like a precious relic from a fantastical universe.