MONSTER COMICS 2003-2004"DIAMONDS"
ARTISTS STATEMENT“DIAMONDS” was the sixth all new drawing series in the ongoing “HEY APATHY!” comic saga. The artworks tell tales of pigs and poverty. Despairing comic book images of manipulative monsters, alcoholic adventures, and nicotine slaves ravage a barren landscape. Birds can be seen pecking at half humans while small coins and jewels are traded for irrational pleasures. Lost in the darkness, “DIAMONDS” revels in horror and presents a truly hopeless vision. A rained out showing at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition left Mike in a difficult position financially, at the same time the end of a long term relationship drained the artist mentally. Beaten and desolate Mike seemed to perpetually attract the most sordid and bizarre characters. Many of the characters in the comics are represented as vultures. Created between Sept. -2003 and Feb. 2004, a particularly difficult time in the artist’s life, the entire series included over 250 small pen drawings, 13 large pen and ink works. The entire collection was initially presented in the BASEMENT GALLERY (Mike’s studio which doubled as a gallery/after hours club) complete with black walls, red floors, and red ceilings March 2004.
THE STORY SO FAR ...The series one, “HEY APATHY! & THE APOCALYPSE!”, artworks present the city as giant gear propelled by the illusion of conformity. Coupled with apocalyptic premonitions, these early works question the identity of the city, and present an optimistic warning towards our future. As the artist investigates the situation further (“THE LAST OPTIMIST” Comic book 2002) unconscious icons (“MONSTERS”2002), and humanoid beings (FLIES,HOLES & ROACHES”2002) begin to reveal themselves. A chaos riddled cityscape describes transformation of a post war metropolis (“HARD RAIN” 2003) and individuals argue endlessly in cafes and other public places (“YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!”2003). Now, amidst the chaos and immersed in the social activities of the big city, Mike’s investigation takes a turn for the worst. The people aren’t people at all,. The city is run by pigs, poverty, vultures and nicotine (“DIAMONDS“2004). Perhaps the landscape was best viewed from afar.
DRAWING TECHNIQUESNot only did the “DIAMONDS” 2004 artworks debut an entirely new dark vision, but the artworks were integral to the advancement of Mike’s technical skills as both a draftsman and detective. Working with absolutely no income Mike purchased three acid free sketch books, two technical pens, and a bottle of ink and spent the winter in various water holes observing, consuming, and being consumed. The drawings were created with a two step ambidextrous drawing technique. The first layer would be drawn left handed with a fine point pen, and the finishing layer right handed with a larger pen. A skeleton and an epidermis of sorts combining Mike‘s ability to use experimental line work and traditional cartooning. These artworks were created primarily in public spaces and frequently exhibited in café or night club storytelling sessions. Mike would open up the sketchbook and share tales of terror with anybody willing to subject themselves. Mike managed to sell enough of these small sketches publicly to continue his explorations, and quickly purchased a roll of large format drawing paper. Mike returned to his studio to work on 13 sizable artworks for the series. These drawings utilized the most intricate of Mike’s drawing techniques to date. Using a five step process, the artworks were drawn with two sizes on quill pens, and three different sized technical pens. Working in reverse order, when compared to the smaller works, Mike started the drawings with left handed bamboo and quill pens, and worked his way down to the detailed right-handed technical pen line work.The entire collection of “DIAMONDS” drawings was exhibited in the BASEMENT GALLERY, Mike’s Kensington Market studio/apartment which frequently doubled as gallery and party space, in March 2004. Behind on his rent, and completely spent emotionally, Mike decorated his studio with black walls, red ceilings, and red floors, featuring over 200 sketch book drawings and the 13 large artworks. , The opening was an enormous success not only in attendance and small sales, but Mike sold several of the large artworks to world renowned printmaker and collector Rudolph Bikkers. A business partnership between Bikkers, an anonymous collector, and Mike ensued, and all though short lived, the deal allowed Mike to continue to produce drawings through out the spring 2004. EXHIBITIONSThe entire collection of “DIAMONDS” drawings was exhibited in the BASEMENT GALLERY, Mike’s Kensington Market studio/apartment which frequently doubled as gallery and party space, in March 2004. Behind on his rent, and completely spent emotionally, Mike decorated his studio with black walls, red ceilings, and red floors, featuring over 200 sketch book drawings and the 13 large artworks. , The opening was an enormous success not only in attendance and small sales, but Mike sold several of the large artworks to world renowned printmaker and collector Rudolph Bikkers. A business partnership between Bikkers, an anonymous collector, and Mike ensued, and all though short lived, the deal allowed Mike to continue to produce drawings through out the spring 2004.
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