Tonight, I started creating a piece of art out of a spray paint can. I know this definitely isn’t an original idea. I use spray paint a lot in my works but never thought of using it as a canvas until recently. My friend James Quebbeman had created a custom can for me a couple months ago and recently encouraged me to try it out for myself. So this weekend I embarked on the journey.
Custom can created by Vapor aka James Quebbeman
My theme is going to be based around my building and tentacles that I tend to draw a lot. People have asked me before why buildings? Why Tentacles? Well, do you really want to know? Then I guess I will fill you in.
Being raised in the city until second grade when we moved to the small rural town of Danville I think shaped my fascination with the scale, purpose, and aesthetics of skyscrapers or just tall buildings in general. Obviously, small towns aren’t known for massive architectural pieces so visiting the city was always an event. I remember even driving downtown to Herron everyday for school from Danville was great because I got to experience the skyline from varying degrees of size and detail along the way. I still think one of my favorite views of the skyline is the drive through ‘Little Mexico’ right after 36 and 40 combine especially when the sun is setting in the fall.
Progress shot of my spray paint can creation, stickers, utensils, etc.
Big buildings are just down right cool. The insane amount of money and work that goes into them is enough to appreciate them. Not only are they a functional part of cities across the world but they become an iconic image. I think taking that concept and using my creative license to depict buildings in my own way helps me create a certain type of iconic image in the context of my own artwork.
As far the tentacles go, once again…they are cool. Not only that but they are fascinating to look at. Whether it be an earthworm or a tentacle on a giant octopus, I have always found these digits to be way more interesting than human limbs. For me they represent the unknown, the odd, the dangerous, or the down-right creepy. I think the tentacles leave themselves open for interpretation to the viewer because they are just as iconic as buildings. Unfortunately, it seems as of late tentacles have been the cool thing to do in design and illustration. At the same time, just becacuse others on are the same creative tip as myself doesn’t mean I should stop doing what I’m doing.
So there you have it folks. It might just look cool but there is always more to what you are looking at regardless of what it is.
Tags: buildings, collage, spray paint can, tentacles, Vapor
