I’ve been pretty busy lately working on this ambitious piece for a private commission, and I’m excited to be able to finally reveal it.
The concept all came from the client, so I can’t take credit (!), but it was a fantastic idea to imagine that all these characters from different 80s movies could be somehow part of the same universe and literally cross paths at the same moment in time. All of the characters I’ve added were at the client’s request, and while technically Ghost and Gremlins 2 are from 1990 (!), they still feel like 80s movies, and must have been conceived (and probably also filmed) before the decade was out.
Naturally, creating something like this took many long hours, initially just in terms of seeking appropriate reference, both for the background, and then for all the characters themselves. In fact it took several days to plan before I’d even begun to paint anything, and even then, it evolved somewhat along the way. The majority of billboards were replaced from the main original background reference which was very late 70s, in order to all add to the 80s feel.
Getting to add a bonus Roger Moore and Grace Jones, paying homage to Dan Gouzee’s classic ‘A View to a Kill’ poster was especially fun. In fact conceptually that was interesting too, because in a world full of movie characters, what actual movies could they go to see? Bond just seemed to work as a pop cultural phenomenon that could stand outside of that world. There are a couple of other movies referenced in there too – see if you can spot them.
This was a private commission, so I’m afraid no prints will be available. It has got me thinking though, it could be fun to paint other cities and characters. Right now I need to have a bit of a lie down though!
Massive thanks to my client Russell Piper for the commission and concept.
Massive thanks to my client Russell Piper for the commission and concept.
