Stanley Donwood is best known for his Radiohead artwork and covers, but his screenprints, expressive works that aren’t afraid to address good old-fashioned fears, can stand on their own as they continue to capture the zeitgeist. Happy Family shows a family heading into their bomb shelter, built with supplies suggested by the UK government. Donwood peppers his work with references to thin ice, lack of escape and other cheerless notions, like the very simple and direct Lost Child. Minotaur is a poignant symbol for our basic fear of “otherness”, a mythological creature who is depicted weeping, but unable to show or feel regret. Donwood’s website also offers a variety of atmospheric prose worth investigating.

Artist: Stanley Donwood
+ slowlydownward.com