It wasn’t until this week that I discovered the artist Josh Keyes. The Washington native works in a variety of media including sculpture, drawing and installation but it’s his paintings that impress me the most. Brash, bold and confident, his pictures are filled with drama and surreal beauty. Keyes describes his work as “a hybrid of eco-surrealism and dystopian folktales that express a concern for our time and the Earth’s future’.

For me, there’s a clinical nature to Keyes’ dystopian dioramas. The viewpoint feels detached; as though the events we’re seeing are somewhat out of our control. Keyes work is satirical, highlighting the power of nature and our current obsession with urban-sprawl. His life-life – almost science book renderings – make these paintings become even more surreal and even more impressive. You can view more of his work here.