Das Parfum: Die Geschichte Eines Mörders (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer)

I created this piece for a mock cover of the book "Das Parfum: Die Geschichte Eines Mörders" (orginal German title), roughly translated as "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer", by author Patrick Süskind. Using the motifs, symbols, and iconography of the story, I have created my own version of the book's cover. I plan to eventually add text to further strengthen the composition and overall concept of the illustration.

"Das Parfum: Die Geschichte Eines Mörders"
Mixed Media on W/C Paper and Digital

See No (evil)...

Finally, I have a scanner of my own! I can finally get to posting work again on my blog. So here's one of my most recent works titled, "See No (evil)...". The flying creatures of the night, hover around the figure's head, while he's wrapped in a black blanket of warmth and false-security. I used the expression "blind as a bat" to push the concept forward, in support of the figure's gesture and expression. Hope you enjoy!

"See No (evil)..."
Graphite on paper, 16 x 16"

Ladies & Gentlemen, Dash Snow Speaks!

I found this pretty interesting piece of video footage of an interview, by the one and only Dash Snow! Listen to what he has to say briefly, and absorb the ethereal life that once was Dash...

Untitled (His name is my name...)

Here's a project long over due for a blog presentation. I completed this sculpture this time last year. The concept is simple: Jesus Christ, covered in gold and wrapped in fur, begins to decay and even rot from his once glorified self. The piece has no real titled, however I do feel that I, myself as an aging man, have also fallen from my 'glorified' youth and beauty, and am beginning to decay, hence the sub-title 'His name is my name...'.

"Untitled (His name is my name...) "
Mixed media sculpture: Plaster cast, gold leaf, fur, saliva, wax, paint, dead gnats , approx. 9.5 x 11 x 9"

Until The Light Takes Us

I was recently on appletrailers.com, when I came across an interesting film trailer for a documentary called "Until the Light Takes Us". This film tells the history of Black Norwegian Metal, the people and sub-culture behind the music and it's ideals/'philosophies'. This is interesting because I based an Illustration project on this subject, called "True Norwegian Black Metal (Varg Vikernes and Gaahl)". I'm very excited to see this film and how accurate I portrayed this phenomena.

True Norwegian Black Metal (Varg Vikernes and Gaahl)
Ink on paper, 22 x 30"

Not Yet Titled (Jack of Clubs)

My fellow graduated illustrators have invited me to participate in a show designing a deck of cards. Each and everyone of us received a specific face card, mine being the Jack of clubs, and eventually display them within a gallery. There has been talks of even having these cards published and printed into actual playing cards. Lets hope so!

Not Yet Titled (Jack of Clubs)
Ink and gold leaf on paper, 8 x 10"

Child's Play

Here is a new piece, derived from my map works, titled "Child's Play". I am simply exploring the designs and details used within my map work, on a more basic and iconic scale. Working with a fetal skull stencil, and the use of my own semen on the piece connects these two subjects within the realm of birth, life, and death.

"Child's Play"

Ink, Artist's semen, and glitter on paper, 9 x 12"

The Late Great Dash Snow, we shall miss you dearly!

Dash Snow (1981-2009)

To those of you who do not know who Dash Snow is, he was a New York based artist who's career was short lived due to a drug overdose. His art consisted of Polaroid photos of his party days, Dada'esk collages, obscure sculpture work, and silent films. However, his greatest contribution to the art world was his and fellow friend and artist, Dan Colen's instalation, "[Hampster] Nest".

He was born into a wealthy family, and took his life into the grungy city streets of New York, where he befriended fellow artists Dan Colen, Ryan McGinley, Nate Lowman, and other contemporaries. Dan, Ryan and Dash were considered "Warhol's Children". Spawning from the same life style and artistic integrity as Andy, they evolved and expanded what Warhol truely had foreseen in the contemporary art world. Dash's work was one of a kind! His early photography was like that of Nan Golden, documenting his life in a click of a shutter. He explained that him and his friends used to get 'wasted', and took Polaroids to remember their adventures the next day. His "Nest" installation was based off of his and Dan's hotel room excursions, where the two would turn on all the taps flooding the room, rip of hundreds of phone books, and drink and do drugs unil the two felt like they were hampsters. Dash truely did live his life on the edge!

When a friend of mine mentioned that he had passed away, I was disapointed. Disapointed because I never had the chance to view his work in person, knowing he was still alive (and perhaps having the chance to have met him). It was also disapointing because he had a baby girl last year or so, who he and his partner Jade named Secret Snow. Perhaps it is odd that I am mourning over a person I did not know personally, however I knew his art work and history. He interested me to no end, and perhaps I even looked up to him as a muse to my own work and life style. He was only 27 years old, and was only on the art scene for three to four years now.

For more information of Dash Snow, visit the following sites:

http://www.viceland.com/int/v11n5/htdocs/hamster.php?source=db

http://www.deitch.com/projects/sub.php?projId=219

http://tinyvices.com/dash_snow.html

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/dash_snow.htm

http://www.peresprojects.com/artist-works/dash-snow/0/

http://www.viceland.com/wp/2009/07/dash-snow-1981-2009/

http://nymag.com/arts/art/profiles/26288/