Terrific new Digital Works from I’m a Superhero accompanying Zombie Encyclopedia Pages.

[Thom Courcelle]

‘I’m a Superhero’ included a set of his digital work that impressed to the point of inspiring me to share…

This set was theme related to the Encyclopedia pages he forwarded to me.  They were titled “Zombiesemics—Oscar Wao Remix.”  And, while there is enough visual content for each to stand on their own, they work together as a triptych just divinely.  I probably should have tried photographing these separately, but my deplorable photography skills wouldn’t have helped you see the text any easier.  Suffice to say that “graffito”-type text engages each panel in an abetting fashion to the triptych’s story-telling.  I’ve to confess that despite my love of reading, I have yet to experience the author Junot Díaz—which undoubtedly means that I’ll likely be finding a copy of his work soon to satisfy my curiosity.  But a very little bit of research revealed the following in regards the terms that are explored in his book, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao:

 

“The novel opens with an introductory section which explains the fukú -- "generally a curse or a doom of some kind; specifically the Curse and the Doom of the New World," and the zafa—a counterspell to the fukú. The narrator of the book, unknown to the reader at this point, explains that the story he is about to tell is his own form of a zafa.”

 

In Superhero’s artwork, the term “Fukú” is readily discovered amongst the terrorizing zombie-women; zombies are not only cursed, they are a curse to the living. “Zafa,” however, is blaringly absent.  Perhaps we as the viewer are the “zafa” that breaks the curse.  We regard these zombies, instantly get past our terror, and redefine them as art, as curiosities, as creativity.  We re-objectify them and move from fear to entrancement, and to appreciation as entertainment for our minds.  HA!  They no longer can eat our brains!  They are food for our expanding artistic appreciation!  Take that monsters!  ART HAS THE POWER OF TRANSFORMATION.

 

I had a short discussion with Nancy Bell Scott not long ago about OCD and “busi-ness” in our artwork.  OCD is really the wrong way to say this—it’s more the all-encompass-ment that we as artists have while we live in our work.  Superhero’s work can at first glance seem overwhelming to my eyeballs.  But like other great works of art, when you spend some time with it, it is extremely easy to FALL INTO THE WORK, entranced for a while, while one explores its nooks and crannies, its hidden surprises, details, graces.

[De Villo Sloan]

Fantastic blog, Thom! In our world, a first "serious treatment" of what's going on in work by Superhero. I find this incredibly illuminating.

[1cgqtuoblpeqc]

thanks for the very beautiful words! ;-D

 

here is the full digital download for those interested: