Artist Blog 6: Mike Stilkey

Unusual enough Mike Stilkey creates his art work on top of a book, or antique paper. What caught my eye about this artist is his choice in using books as his canvas for his artwork. The books do not just make a rectangle but form the body of the painting and converts a painting into a three dimensional piece of art.

Twelve Moths of Drama for the Average Church
13 books, 5X6 inches

Most of Stilkey's pieces are hard for me to understand. There is such a deep meaning in all of his art. Again in pretty much all of his art the figures are gloomy and unhappy. In Twelve Months of Drama for the Average Church the horse seems sad and looks like he is dressed for a funeral. I personally like the colors in the background because it makes the black shirt stand out and think about why he is wearing a black shirt. His figures are very cartoony, to me they seem like they would be on some adult cartoon show. They are quite humerus in a way.

A Love Eternal
13 books, 5X6 inches

A Love Eternal is another depressing piece of art. There is a women standing over what appears to be a dead man. From the title I can tell they were probably lovers, maybe even married. What I get from this piece is that the wife caught the husband cheating and she killed him or she came home one day and found her husband dead, and she has no pity for him. What really stands out to me from Stilkey's work is how he uses colorful books as the background. Although his art is a little gloomy he cheers up the art with colorful books to make the painting seem more funny then deep and dark.