Erik Desmazières

Erik Desmazières is a contemporary French printmaker, born 1948. He is one of the founders of a group known as Art Fantastique. These French artists draw on European precedents like  Piranesi and Durer, but their work is influenced by American and British science fiction and Latin American writers such as Borges. (Unknown Lands, 1980)

I wrote here about Desmazières in 2011, but at that time I could find very few images online. Now there are hundreds, mainly from auction houses selling his prints. (Another from the Unknown Lands series)

Desmazières has done many different kinds of work, including street scenes from Amsterdam, views of the Bibliotheque Nationale Francais, still lifes, and a series on the studies of famous writers. I, of course, like the fantastic pieces best, but here is a nice work titled Tulips for variety.

Some of Desmazières' earlier work had a steampunk feel, like this one, Grand Battle (1978).

Captive Sphere

Exploration

Temple in the Jungle

Cityscape

The Flood

Burgundian Cottage, 1985

Casque d’apparat, 1981