The world can feel somewhat surreal these days, with reports of chatbots approximating human speech and spy balloons floating over North America. With his cover of the February 27, 2023, issue, the cartoonist Edward Steed reminds us that strange is nothing new and that the world has long been filled with curiosities. I talked to the artist about mystery, human imagination, and the oddities that appear when we confront the unknown.
Do any of these strange creatures have a connection to the real world or to your past?
I had previously drawn the types of creatures I imagine living in New York City, and I decided I wanted to try drawing the types of creatures I might see in the countryside where I grew up. These creatures are a mixture of my childhood nightmares, hallucinations, things I saw on TV, and things I saw in my everyday life.
This image feels almost medieval in its inspiration. What makes you gravitate toward tapestries?
The medieval world is a lot like the world of childhood. There is a lot of fear and confusion and misinformation—and, therefore, there are a lot of monsters. So I thought this old woodcut style made sense for this image.
To produce this image as a linoleum cut, you turned your home into a print shop and produced dozens of color variations. When you discover a new medium, do you often find yourself obsessed?
My first attempt at linocut was a set of spot drawings for this magazine. This cover is my second try at it. It’s such a tedious and unforgiving medium—it’s hard to get obsessed with. I’m not sure I like the cutting very much, but I do really like the way the prints look. And it’s good for me to try new media; it forces me to think differently about how to compose an image.
The artist’s studio with some of the many color versions he printed, and a detail of the drawings cut in the large-size linocut plate.Photographs by Genevieve Bormes
Do you play music while drawing or working, and, if so, what kind of music is the best accompaniment for your work?
Yes, usually I’m listening to something. It’s good to find a song that matches the spirit of the drawing. In this case, something like Richard Dawson’s “The Ghost of a Tree” on YouTube.
You recently moved from Brooklyn to Queens. Did you bring along most of your work and creatures, or are you starting fresh?
I like living in Queens. I’m far from Manhattan. It seems like a good place for an artist to live. But there is no such thing as starting fresh; you can never leave the monsters behind.
See below for more covers by Edward Steed:
“Sea Changes”
“Inside Baseball"
“Overgrown"
Find Edward Steed’s covers, cartoons, and more at the Condé Nast Store.
Sourse: newyorker.com
