The Addams Family show at Wootini got some notice from Boing Boing! Well, Doktor A’s Thing at least. And it’s over a year late …
But still, cool beans!
I had a lot of fun with my piece for that show.
http://boingboing.net/2012/03/03/steampunk-addams-family-thing.html
This is way overdue, as is a bunch of other updates, but I’m very busy right now…
ZDF Kultur did a special called “Die Nintendo Story” and they included my Super iam8bit painting in it!
At around 5:30 “Rise From Your Grave” is part of a transition.
Thanks ZDF Kultur!
The CVA in Greensboro had a show earlier this year for art on skateboard decks. It sounded like fun so I entered a couple of decks.
I bought of a couple of blanks from Eastbilt.
I had several ideas, and worked out my two favorites on the computer.
Here you can see the beginnings of The Reptilian Agenda.
The other design was more typographical, and inspired by Masonic Tracing Boards. Rather than illustrate and symbolize order and balance, my design invokes chaos and entropy.
The gallery had some cool festivities for the big opening, including a small half pipe inside.
Here’s my piece for the Super iam8bit show in Los Angeles.
Rise From Your Grave - Andy Foltz 2011 - Acrylic on Canvas
I really had a lot of fun with the theme and was grateful to Jon Gibson and the iam8bit folks for putting everything together for the show.
Ghouls and Pac-Man Ghosts
I was pretty excited, and I wanted to pull together as many references to games I loved as possible.
Trans Am wings signify Resurrection
At the same time, I was playing with ideas of the cycle of putting a quarter in the machine, getting a new life, dying, and returning again after another quarter is spent.
Zombie Mario, aka Dig Dug
Also, I decided that Dig Dug was actually Zombie Mario.
Zeus, from Altered Beast
Is that a Berzerk robot, or a Cylon? Yes.
Rise From Your Grave!
Kong loves the ladies.
Poor Fygar
Opening Night!
The opening for the show was AWESOME! Enduring long lines over 1000 people came through to see the art, meet the artists, hear Leeni and DJ R Rated perform, and play Galaga on a giant screen. Here’s some coverage and footage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_RbsbZZPkQ
Process
I started by throwing together elements in Photoshop, working on a structure to anchor all the different elements I wanted to pay tribute to.
I thought a vertical format might be more like a stand up arcade cabinet, so I tried a few tall layouts and liked it.
This was the final rough I used to lay out the painting.
After getting the layout to a point where I was reasonably satisfied, I began roughing out the painting.
That was the last process photo I took before the all nighter it took to finish it!
Poster for the Little Green Men show at Wootini
I had the privilege of curating a great art show with current and former artists at Red Storm. The concept for the show was to play around with ideas of green army men, toys, aliens, and other green colored characters.
The walls were full of awesomeness.
Here’s an mini-interview that discusses the themes and origins of the show.
Seb's Papercraft Action Figures
The opening on April 15th was a lot of fun. The show looked great and a lot of people came by to check out the madness. We made some LED throwies with little green army men stuck to them and tossed them around inside and outside Wootini. I set up some flashing lights and a theremin to boost the ambience. Here’s a video of George operating it.
Cap'n Port Approves
Adrien Lienard took some great photos. You can see more here.
Thanks to the hard work of everyone involved in the show and the talent of the artists, we all had a great time and the whole thing went off pretty well. The turnout was good, people had a good time, and some paintings sold!
So I’m grateful for the opportunity, for the fun, and for the great support of Wootini and the participating artists. Thanks everyone!
2 1/2 months after opening night, this last green LED throwie guy was still glowing.
I’m proud for this to see the light of day. I’ve been working with some great people and writing a lot of actionscript to help make this happen.
Poster for a group show I’m curating. It’ll open at Wootini on April 15th.
For The Addams Family Show at Wootini.
I wanted to pull together elements from Charles Addams‘ original cartoons, from the TV show in the 60s, and the two movies in the 90s. I chose a very narrow, almost grayscale palette for the painting to echo the grayscale cartoons Charles Addams did for the New Yorker. A little gold was added to better connect the painting to the lovely decrepit frame.
The Dialog between Little Miss Pink Bow and Wednesday is borrowed from the second Addams Family Movie.
This formed the central theme of the painting. Even in the TV show, Gomez and Morticia seemed to have a more healthy and realistic relationship than many other TV families of the era. In spite of their overt eccentricities, their family was quite healthy, and Gomez and Morticia were passionate about each other.
Ricci’s Wednesday has become canon in my mind.
Peter Murphy’s head is disembodied for no other reason than it felt right.
I love Raul Julia’s portrayal of Gomez in the movies, but for me, John Astin will always be Gomez. His manic smile and relish for madness and mischief connected with me.
The Addams Family credo. Words to Live by.
I used some glow in the dark paint on all the eyes. So I made a UV flashlight to help show it off. When I get the painting back, I’ll get some pics of the glowing eyes.
In 1993 I made a quick watercolor and ink painting of the 3 wise men as a Christmas present for my family.
18x24 Watercolor and Ink
This year, my mom requested another painting as a companion piece to the older one.
Visitation of the Magi (2010) process 1
Visitation of the Magi (2010) process 2
After some research and some sketches I made a new painting in oils.
Visitation of the Magi
Here’s a summary of some of the research and thinking behind the elements of this painting.
The association with Zoroastrianism.
One of the first things that piqued my interest at the beginning was the idea that the story of the wise men may have referred to Zoroastrians. The term “wise men” in English translations of the Matthew account of the nativity of Jesus comes from Latin magus and Greek magos, both descending from the old Persian magus, the name of the religious caste Zoroaster was born into. The association therefore comes directly from the translations of the biblical text.
But the practices of Zoroastrians bear similarities to rituals and themes common in Christian practices and doctrine. Rituals of cleansing by water and fire are common to both, as is a monotheistic creator god.
Individual Magi
The Magi on the right is inspired by old photos of Brigham Young who sometimes wore his Masonic emblem around his neck. Brigham Young was a shrewd and determined man who could build an empire in the desert. A hardened mystic, he was simultaneously rooted in the mysteries of heaven and the practicalities of reality.
The central character wears white robes, similar to Zoroastrian Priests.
He carries a gift for the newborn king marked with the winged emblem of Zoroastrianism. What is in the box? Traditionally gold, frankincense and myrrh but the box is closed, and its contents are unknown. Like Schrodinger’s cat, the gift is undetermined until the chest is opened. His hat is intended to be a cushion for a crown he does not yet wear. He is the middle, the president of the three, and the balance between the hardened practicality of the Magi on the right and the jovial and mystical nature of the Magi on the left.
On the left is a figure wearing a pointed cap. This hat is inspired by Phrygian caps.
Phrygian caps signify freedom and the pursuit of liberty, but they are also a visual shorthand for ‘easterners’ and as such, the 3 wise men have sometimes been depicted wearing Phrygian caps in various works of art. However, the association runs deeper. Phrygian style caps are connected to the cult of Mithras, a Zoroastrian divinity of covenant and oath.
The hat also bears resemblance to the red hat of Santa Claus, a fitting connection to a bearer of gifts.
This Magi is jovial and easily distracted by philosophy and heavenly matters.
The Magi on the left and right carry oil lamps. By association with the parable of the ten virgins, the two Magi represent preparedness, diligence, and faithfulness. They waited for the bridegroom, and their oil did not run out. Furthermore, in a Zoroastrian context, Fire is revered and is considered a medium through which spiritual insight and wisdom is gained.
The Constellations and Star
Three constellations are depicted: Canis Major, Orion, and Lepus.
For the Babylonians, Orion was “The Heavenly Shepherd.” For the Egyptians, Orion was associated with Osiris, the god of death and resurrection.
Canis Major
Canis Major contains Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. The Egyptians associated Sirius with Isis, the wife of Osiris. Osiris, Isis, and their son Horus formed a sort of divine trinity. Images of Isis nursing Horus prefigure depictions of Mary and Jesus. Different aspects of Osiris and Horus also bear resemblance to aspects of Jesus’ role as Savior, and the suffering god who is killed by enemies, conquers death, and rises again.
Lepus
The third constellation in the lower right is Lepus, the hare. Sometimes depicted as being chased by Orion, and his dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor.
The star in the middle of the painting is derived from the six-pointed Star of David, a symbol of the Jewish origins of Christianity. Intermediate points are added for decoration, and to add West and East cardinal directions. As a compass rose, the star indicates guidance and direction from the heavens, and the unseen forces of magnetism. The points of the star are beveled and painted in a creamy off-white, encouraging association with the Moravian star.
