Though 'Gothic' is a borrowed term in contemporary art, applied mostly to artworks centering on death, deviance, the erotic macabre, psychologically charged sites and fragmented bodies, it is also the product of an excess of imagination, or a surplus of fantasy. In this view, Japanese artist Ikeda Manabu's meticulously drawn gigantic acrylic ink drawings, explore apocalypse and takes pleasure in the fragment, inconsistent narratives, the disjointed and the morphological. These works create feelings of gloom, mystery, terror, suspense and fear. Traditional Japanese architecture clashes with giant mangled tree roots, while swarms of birds and fish dart through the water or atmosphere. Each work takes up to two years of eight-hour days to complete. The most unbelievable aspect being that Manabu has no idea what the final artwork will look like, but instead explores each work originally from day to day as he progresses inch by inch. In 2008, Manabu created "Foretaken", a 6 by 11 foot intricately drawn merciless tsunami swallowing trains, boats, buildings and all things human that explode in a syncopated dance of destruction. The artist prefers working with 'Tachikawa Comic Nib Foutain' pens.
No comments:
Post a Comment