An introduction to the work of a new artist not to be missed
Characterized by an intriguing disjointed rhythm and delicious pencil-smudged style, The Bun Field is defined by a surreal ebb and flow, possessing a deep sense of foreboding and hurt, yet maintaining a biting sense of humor. Amanda Vähämäki’s first graphic novel is infused with a sense of abbreviated adolescence and a kind of gray-sky banality.
In this story, a young girl dreams of a dinosaur eating Donald Duck; wakes to find a bald, hulking stranger sharing her breakfast; leaves to take a car trip with a bear; falls and breaks a tooth, to have it replaced by an impatient dentist—from his dog’s mouth no less; and pays back the favor by plowing a field of buns. Young people and anthropomorphic animals commingle in dreamy landscapes, performing mundane tasks that are skewed with an absurd and fantastic edge. Vähämäki’s unique ideas are equally matched by her tactile drawings, creating a palpable world that is fresh and compelling. The Bun Field has been published in several languages.
Born in Finland in 1981, Amanda Vähämäki studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Italy. She is featured in Book Five of the acclaimed Drawn & Quarterly Showcase series for emerging cartoonists, as well as in several European anthologies.
The Bun Field is a stellar work that unfolds like a dream. It's one of the most disconcerting and arresting comics I've read in a long time, and certain images-- a winking tree, a dog-human tooth transplant-- will stay with you forever.
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I have read this book multiple times, and I'm always sad to see it end. It creates such an interesting and disturbing world, that is very tender, and it stays in your mind long after you've read it, like a place you've actually been to. Her artwork is deceptively simple, and the way she uses partially erased images to create multiple layers of motion/meaning is amazing. This is one of the best graphic novels I have ever read, and I will definitely buy anything else she creates in the future.
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OK - so I pre-ordered this book based on the title.... which coincidentally is the same as my maiden name - Bunfield. Yes, a silly reason to buy a book, but I looked forward to its release with great anticipation. Upon my first read-through, I did not understand it at all - it lacked development in any discernable direction. I read it a few times more, searching for a deeper meaning, but only ended up in a state of utter confusion. Ironically, subsisting in a state of confusion turns out to be the underlying mesage of the book. So maybe, I understood it after all.
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