The Plain One
⊛ The Plain One
⊛ cut + torn paper + washi / wood
⊛ 11.75 x 8.75 in • 297 x 210 mm
Holy Psychedelia, Batman! I'm poking my toe a bit outside my comfort zone with this piece and it's ultra-bright color scheme. Considering how many monochromatic pieces I've done recently, I felt the need to inject some vividness into my work.
By and large, adjectives are meaningless without their opposites. Our friend here wouldn't seem so plain, ordinary or drained without the vibrancy glowing behind him.
I envisioned the character as a creepy adult-kid (Creepy kids, by the way, are currently Japan's biggest cultural export. I miss giant robots.). My wife, on the other hand, decided that he was a salariman. In either case, I think he's having some problems finding his spark. I only feel this way after too little sleep, too much coffee, or a combination of the two.
I'm debating adding torn-paper leaves and flowers to the tree in the background. It would carry the green and red through the image a bit more, while also pushing the contrast between a landscape bursting with life and the man without any.