JoanCornellà Vázquez(born 11 January 1981, Barcelona) is a cartoonist and illustrator famous for hisunsettling, surreal humor and black humorous comic strips as well as artwork.
Cornellà’s work has often been described as disturbing orflat-out offensive. Through simplistic visual language, he is able to usesatire to comment on the sinister and often bleak side of human nature througha myriad of unconventional scenarios.Everything from our unnatural connection to social media and masturbatoryselfie culture to political topics such as abortion, addiction and genderissues - no subject is off limits. Cornellà’s work revels in its absurdity andimpropriety.
Upon first glance, Cornellà’s work seemslight-hearted and playful, his figures all share a generic blank smile andbright cheery color palette (akin to 1950’s advertising or Airline safetypamphlets) Upon further inspection however, the overwhelming morbidness andunnerving nature shines through with unparalleled force. Black comedy, at it’score, is about satirizing subjects that are traditionally prohibited, thingsthat are seen as too sacred or off limits. Cornellà pokes fun at such topicsand cuts to their core with gags and minimal visual clues, illustrating scenesof cannibalism, infanticide, deification, murder, suicide and amputation (usedmost frequently). While some feel affronted by his work, many connect over it,laughing and feeling bad for laughing all at the same time.
Thought-provoking,honest and incredibly entertaining, Cornellà's work is truly sincere and holdsreal potency in its message, even when disguised through blatant humor. In theartist’s own words: “I think we all laugh at misery. We must start from the ideathat when we laugh, we laugh at someone or something. With empathy or not,there is always some degree of cruelty. In spite of that, I am aware that ifone of my cartoons happened in real life I would not laugh at all”.
In September 2016 Chicago-based alternativeband Wilco released its tenth studio album, Schmilco, for which Joandesigned the cover.
JoanCornellà Vázquez(born 11 January 1981, Barcelona) is a cartoonist and illustrator famous for hisunsettling, surreal humor and black humorous comic strips as well as artwork.
Cornellà’s work has often been described as disturbing orflat-out offensive. Through simplistic visual language, he is able to usesatire to comment on the sinister and often bleak side of human nature througha myriad of unconventional scenarios.Everything from our unnatural connection to social media and masturbatoryselfie culture to political topics such as abortion, addiction and genderissues - no subject is off limits. Cornellà’s work revels in its absurdity andimpropriety.
Upon first glance, Cornellà’s work seemslight-hearted and playful, his figures all share a generic blank smile andbright cheery color palette (akin to 1950’s advertising or Airline safetypamphlets) Upon further inspection however, the overwhelming morbidness andunnerving nature shines through with unparalleled force. Black comedy, at it’score, is about satirizing subjects that are traditionally prohibited, thingsthat are seen as too sacred or off limits. Cornellà pokes fun at such topicsand cuts to their core with gags and minimal visual clues, illustrating scenesof cannibalism, infanticide, deification, murder, suicide and amputation (usedmost frequently). While some feel affronted by his work, many connect over it,laughing and feeling bad for laughing all at the same time.
Thought-provoking,honest and incredibly entertaining, Cornellà's work is truly sincere and holdsreal potency in its message, even when disguised through blatant humor. In theartist’s own words: “I think we all laugh at misery. We must start from the ideathat when we laugh, we laugh at someone or something. With empathy or not,there is always some degree of cruelty. In spite of that, I am aware that ifone of my cartoons happened in real life I would not laugh at all”.
In September 2016 Chicago-based alternativeband Wilco released its tenth studio album, Schmilco, for which Joandesigned the cover.