SURREALISM ARTWORK DRAWING DREAMS ABOUT WAR

“HARD RAIN” DARK DRAWINGS 2003

SURREALISM ARTWORK A Hard Rain is going to fall… Following a cataclysmic news telecast reporting of widespread telepathic destruction, streets of fire and falling cities people all over the world begin to lose consciousness. A driver falls asleep behind the wheel, the office worker face down on his desk, children pass out in the playground and the so on. As our eyelids grow heavy, the outside world spirals into a terrifying metamorphosis. Twisted landscapes, melting tar, falling people and falling bombs engulf the periphery. A contradictory symphony of whispers and explosions induces the strange sensory overload as all sides are revealed at once; the exterior of the building, the interiors of the rooms within, the road ways leading up to it, away from it and the rooftops of a bird’s eye view. The visions continue to evolve and overlap as we can see several cities intermingled and sense the painful connections between ourselves and our so called enemies. From an imaginary bombardier’s cockpit, situated in the middle of the madness, we become all too aware of the destruction, our detached responsibilities, and the probable consequences of the chaos below…

HARD RAIN was the second major series of ink drawings in the “HEY APATHY!” collection. The drawings were inspired by the emotional, psychological and political states of society following the events of Sept 11/ 2002.  Focusing on connections between urban routines and the act of war the illustrations explore a multitude of symbolic icons including everything from profound private moments such as a family at the dinner table or a teenager chatting away on their phone to crashing vehicles, mass suicides and exploding buildings. Bombs, cars, people and skeletons exist side by side. The most commonplace activities occur simultaneous to the most horrific. These abstract landscapes reveal a microcosmic existence suggesting a direct link between our commercialized lifestyles and the catastrophes of war world wide. 

The entire series consisted of over 500 detailed pen and ink artworks ranging in size from 5 x 5 inches to 10 x 12 feet. HARD RAIN was designed as a sculptural installation integrating all the small illustrations as a single massive work. Each drawing was mounted on a handmade stretcher at various depths in order to create an abstract representation of an architectural landscape. The stretchers were then hung against a red backdrop in a 5 foot strip encompassing a four wall gallery room. The complete exhibit presents the viewer with a multidimensional cityscape as imagined from a surrealist aerial vantage point. The installation was meant to give the sensation of being in the cockpit of a bomber plane spiralling out of control and into madness. This symbolic bombardier’s position reflects a contradictory sense of detachment and responsibility as the pilot, like the civilian living far away from the wars, never really sees the victims but is still deeply involved in the chaos.

 NOW MAGAZINE TORONTO  Feature article about the Hard Rain Artwork & Exhibition

 SURREALISM ARTWORK EXHIBITION . Images from the Gallery Showcase March 2003

SURREALISM ARTWORK
RELATED PAGES

RETURN TO COMIC BOOK DRAWINGS INDEX