'Cuddly Rigor Mortis' by Kristin Tercek: Cute but Creepy
Kristin Tercek, "That Boy Sure Does Love His Butter," Photos by permission.
Plush doll creator-turned-painter Kristin Tercek is the New Jersey-based artist behind the series "Cuddly Rigor Mortis" that she describes as "bits of brutality smothered in a rich, creamy marshmallow sauce." Cute but creepy, Tercek's work combines a single "character" with varying themes, many of which involve food. We talked to Kristin about her inspirations.
"I love food. I always have. I come from an Italian family and food was the centerpiece of all of our get-togethers," Tercek tells Eat Me Daily, explaining that her husband points out frequently that all of her memories and stories somehow involve food. "It just stands to figure that when I'm staring at a lovely little crumb cake at the coffee shop that I anthropomorphize it and imagine him with a cup of joe and a big crumb laying on the floor," she said, describing how almost anything can serve as inspiration, "I also tend to see other things in food. Like a lychee. It kinda looks like a brain. Perfect! Lychee Zombie is born."
In terms of the reoccurring character, "Cuddly Rigor Mortis," she sees it more as "just a shape. That big oval head and little body fit everything so well. Helps with the 'cuddly' part as it makes things so cute." And the rigor mortis? It's "the blood or dismemberment that's usually happening to that cute, big head." But the paintings came first, the name second. She told us, "When I started all of this I needed a company name and after a couple weeks of trying to come up with something, my husband walked in the room and said, 'Cuddly rigor mortis'. And that was it!"
Kristin Tercek, "Citruside," Photos by permission.
Kristin Tercek, "Fromage," Photos by permission.
Kristin Tercek, "Jelly," Photos by permission.
Kristin Tercek, "Sweet Lobotomy," Photos by permission.
Kristin Tercek, "Happy Birthday," Photos by permission.
Kristin Tercek, "Coffee Break," Photos by permission.
Kristin Tercek, "Lychee Zombie," Photos by permission.
Kristin Tercek, "Non Parell," Photos by permission.
Kristin Tercek, "Peppermint Gimp," Photos by permission.
Kristin Tercek, "Optometry," Photos by permission.
Tercek's work is available for sale on her website where prices range from $25 for prints and $80 for original acrylic on wood paintings.
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