Illustrator George Wylesol captures our imagination utilising the mundane

Baltimore-based illustrator George Wylesol has been creating work for nearly seven years and describes his style as “pretty descriptive but still kind of simple.” A mix of textures and unexpected colour combinations provide an interesting flatness for his depictions of the everyday. It’s ordinariness that really interests George: “I try to draw in the most basic, no-frills way possible and think about the illustrations as an instruction manual for a vacuum or kitchen appliance; that’s what I’m trying to achieve,” he explains.

Capturing empty hallways and ajar doors in Ghost and VHS tapes and perfume bottles in object-based series like Dresser and Diptych there’s a distinct lack of physical characters, which encourages the viewer to create their own narrative.

Within these illustrations are peculiar yet compelling ideas that play to the illustrator’s personal experiences. “I think the best, most unique work happens when the artist is writing and drawing honestly about their own lives. I get most of my ideas from events, places and people who have influenced me.” This focus on the familiar is offset by the more surreal adventures George takes us on through his comics, such as The Rabbit, which tells the tale of an anthropomorphic blob wandering the forest. It’s in his comics we see the illustrator in his element as his illustrations become more detailed and chaotic, highlighting the freedom this medium gives him as an artist. “You’re your own boss. You write the text and make all the decisions about the art. It’s totally self-directed, which for me is the greatest creative outlet,” he says.