Being Mickey
Being Mickey
The Catacombs
December 9, 2022 to January 21, 2023
Abraham’s latest series is inundated with Mickey-like characters and references. Why Mickey? It is a recognizable character that has frequently made appearances in Abraham’s work since the early 2000’s. The artist’s love of Pop Art and cartoons from the 1950’s and 1960’s plays a large role in the types of characters he creates. In his college years, Pop Art woke him up. The style was different from normal landscapes and portraits. It was revolutionary in its sudden impact and it broke Fine Art and commercial art boundaries, something that really resonated with the artist. The body of work in Being Mickey hearkens back to that memory, but with a more refined approach as his own creative process has matured. Abraham sees Mickey as a self-portrait, the evolution of himself. The artist’s art making process is through automatism, as defined by the Surrealist movement. It is rooted in pop culture and incorporates the characters that enter his mind within an environment that is sometimes surreal, sometimes uncomfortable. The faceless figures constantly reappear in Abraham’s work but always include elements that give them some individuality. When he paints, he completely lets go of his conscious self and allows his subconscious to take over. The paintings are all of his thoughts, dreams and nightmares put on display. Many of the Mickeys represent Jungian Archetypes and are transformed within various surreal environments. Being Mickey transports us into the artist’s mind, providing a glimpse into that subconscious process.
Being Mickey is a collaboration between Elephant Room Gallery and Epiphany Center for the Arts.
For more information or to schedule a viewing appointment, please email us at art@epiphanychi.com.
Abraham is an illustrator, designer, as well as a fine artist. After school he began to use his artistic skills as a freelance artist and currently does work at some of Chicago’s top ad agencies. Armed with a double major and a unique wit, the artist uses an alternative point of view to re-imagine ideals and adds his own brand of social commentary by re-contextualizing graphic icons. He works primarily in acrylic, watercolor and ink, often mixing them together in his finished works. His work is informed by the cartoon imagery of his youth, and he counts among his influences many of the pop artists of the 1960’s. He has shown work internationally, in and around Chicago, Los Angeles, and Manila. He has recently completed public murals in Manila and continues to travel between there and his Chicago studio.
Abraham is an illustrator, designer, as well as a fine artist. After school he began to use his artistic skills as a freelance artist and currently does work at some of Chicago’s top ad agencies. Armed with a double major and a unique wit, the artist uses an alternative point of view to re-imagine ideals and adds his own brand of social commentary by re-contextualizing graphic icons. He works primarily in acrylic, watercolor and ink, often mixing them together in his finished works. His work is informed by the cartoon imagery of his youth, and he counts among his influences many of the pop artists of the 1960’s. He has shown work internationally, in and around Chicago, Los Angeles, and Manila. He has recently completed public murals in Manila and continues to travel between there and his Chicago studio.
Artwork
