Marseus van Schrieck's strange but beautifully detailed paintings conjur up the contents of a witch's cauldron. Toads lurk amongst the mulch and fallen leaves, alongside snakes - which twist sinuously amongst varied fungi and plant blossoms. Overhead, butterflies alight on leaves and branches before flitting off into the dusky woodlands.
The paintings are given a surreal aspect by their complete impossibility. None of these creatures would exist side by side without attempting to eat one another. Often the fungi and plantlife depicted are highly unlikely to co-exist side by side. These are unnatural fantasies of the natural world, studies of nature as viewed through the distorted mirror of the artist's imagination, and incredibly compelling for their sheer inventiveness.
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