Face Off

Dealing with this small series of paintings I can not avoid the subject of Manga. A guilty pleasure in my adulthood, comics were one of the biggest draws into art for me in my childhood. My first job was working at a comic book shop. I could go on about the unparalleled experience of awe standing in front of a heroic painting that transcends itself and time but I will leave that for another post. I feel my own hesitance to delve into the subject as its a perceived lowly status pervades the idea of bad undergraduate art. Granted it was college age kids in the 80's and 90's who provided a market for Anime which led to Manga's translation in the English language. Manga, the word for Japanese comics, translates to "whimsical pictures". Its permeating influence in the Japanese culture is unrivaled to what we think of comic books in the U.S. Manga should really be viewed as literature suspended in graphics, as its subject matter ranges the gamut of traditional literature. As its influence becomes more embedded in western culture I am sure more people than I can draw connections to Ukiyo-e's influence upon the impressionists. One of Japan's biggest export, like the U.S., is its culture. As Manga is a proletariat /blue color art form I've tried to bring its accesability into these small paintings through the universal recognition of origami paper and their more than affordable prices for a one of a kind artwork. While looking at these images it is important to remember that each panel is 4"x5". As an artist I use these as a toehold to understand a little more of my wife's culture. The thing about visiting other cultures and lands is that you tend to learn more about your own. If you are interested in this painting please visit HERE.