Hello! I’d like to talk to you about my new “Death Folk Pop” series. I’ve seen a lot of different artist do pop art over the years. A lot of times when I see pop culture being used in art, I tend to question the intention... Is it because they know that it sells? Is it because other artists have become rich using cartoon characters in their art? Or is there something more to it that the artist is trying to share? Knowing that I have these types of questions, I assume that all of you may have the same questions of MY recent work. So I thought I’d spend some time giving you all some perspective on why I’ve put together this series.
In the last year, I know I’ve been pretty open with you guys and have been speaking about all the introspection I’ve been doing. Part of that has also been looking back on my life and thinking about the last 40+ years (yes I’m in my 40s). Thinking back to years past, these paintings have become a way for me to say goodbye to a younger me. They are, in a way, obituaries for the different periods in my life. I grew up on comics, tv shows, toys, movies and the characters became friends to me. A lot of my time as a young kid was not only spent watching and playing with these characters, but also drawing them as well. As I spent more time thinking about how creativity played a role in my life, I realized that these characters are probably why I became an artist today. As I’ve made each painting, I’ve been looking back at my life and remembering where I was, who my friends were and just about what it mean to be a kid.
As people collect these paintings I hope that they are going to homes where they too can look back and remember their youth or to help create memories for their children. I’m excited to see where this series takes me and what memories come up as I continue. Thank you for your support, I appreciate it.
Lots of love,
Mike