New Work Friday #44

“My work stems from an intense fear of life or reality. The exaggerated, slightly tormenting characters I create are both a reflection of this fear and a means of gaining control of it. The creatures exist in a paranoid half-reality where common found objects are transformed to convey new meaning. I create installations, objects and wearables using readily available found materials which then act as gateways to alternate realities. In my videos, I let the costume or prop inform the character. The format of my works usually reference and subvert common mainstream genres. In the case of ‘Fun House’ the music video clip is explored. The videos include a striking character repeating phrases or actions over a controlled green screen background. In the case of ‘The Friendship Cycle’ the episodic television serial is referenced. I still feel that many of my works, particularly the character based ones, are an extension of portraiture tradition. I intend my works to be striking and memorable (and slightly unsettling), hopefully worming their way into the subconscious of the viewer, like a catchy pop hook. By representing common objects with new meanings and presenting works that reference mainstream formats, I hope to blur the line between the real and the imagined. The blurrier it gets, the more apparent control I have over reality, or a reality ” – Heath Franco.

Got new work you’d like to share? Send images no larger than 350k each, along with a brief statement about the work, to the art life at hot mail dot com.