TOMBSTONE TOWERS

Surreal Symbol Art...Like terrifying Tombstone Towers the buildings stand watch over the endless crowds. With hordes of anonymous people moving in, around and about them, the monolithic architecture emits a powerful presence directing the flow on the city according to their impenetrable placement. As the metropolis's routines spiral infinitely the towers become the gears transforming the city into a factory manufacturing cold ideals. Through a perpetual cycle of meaninglessness the crowds are controlled by conformity continually filed down the production line to oblivion.

I started making this series of graveyard cityscape in the fall of 2000. These images were represent the earliest example of the “Hey Apathy!” style that I have continued to iterate throughout all of my artworks. Prior to this series I had done a lot of experiments with colour and figurative drawings leaning more towards a traditional comic book style of works. My main influences were mostly graphic novels and films such the works of Alan Moore and Neil Gaimen and old film noir, Fritz Lang as well as the movies of Cronenberg and David Lynch. It is interesting to me that I took many aspects from my beloved influences including philosophical concepts and a Gothic aesthetic but chose to produce a somewhat abstract series of ink drawings rather than a linear type narrative. I had no real interest or background in fine arts so I could never really figure out why I ended up doing large paintings instead of focusing exclusively on comics or film.

Despite this unexpected transition I immediately became attracted to the large format drawing for it potential to do something not too dissimilar from books and film. I got inspired by the idea of transforming a real time environment in which the audience could experience the imaginary world first hand. Like a narrative adventure on the page or the screen, large drawings could also create such escapist sensations if the could engulf ones entire periphery. In order to create such a world I continued to produce this type of work for one full year with plans for an exhibition that would feel like a stage or a set. As the work progressed the installation also developed a minimal narrative and I felt pleased with the new shape my attempt at story telling had taken.

RELATED PAGES

SYMBOL ART Creepy eye   installation about dreams, surveillance,  and the city

EXISTENTIAL ART Read more about this entire series of nihilistic city scapes

PEN AND INK ART Large scale Gallery Installation of Hey Apathy illustrations & murals