This artwork was inspired by Philip K Dick's classic novel 'The Man in the High Castle'. The book is set in an alternate world where the allies lost WWII and the Imperial Japanese have conquered the west coast of America. To represent the blending of Japanese and American cultures‚ the artwork combines Japanese and US advertising from the 1950s and 60s‚ mashed together in a complex collage‚ forming the shape of a tower. Other elements include white and black paint (thick in some areas‚ thin washes in others)‚ drawings of dinosaur skulls in the lower section (representing the ruin and death of the preceding war‚ on which the new society stands)‚ monopoly money‚ and pieces of jumbled Japanese script and decorative Japanese papers.
The MDF board is strong and weighty. I used PVA glue to attach the paper elements‚ sealed them with a satin varnish‚ and then painted and drew over this surface‚ adding and removing washes‚ reworking elements over several sessions. The finished surface of the artwork is quite smooth. Some viewers might recognise the influence of artists such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg.
The novel‚ by the way‚ is a chilling and provocative book‚ and I highly recommend it.