Take Me Away From This Lonesome City is Euan Roberts’s first exhibition with Antler Gallery in Portland, and for such a forlorn inducing title, the present is much from friendless. Roberts gaggle of characters includes a convivial group of creatures–a hat topped black bear, a pointy toothed shark, a technological savvy pup, so on and so forth. His simplistic and cartoonish model is in honor of the animal kingdom, for which we as people are part of. His creatures are metaphors to take care of the heaviness of our lives–poisonous masculinity, the upcoming collapse of our local weather and surroundings, the need to be at peace. Explored by way of the animal in all of us, is centered round what it means to be human, humorous sufficient.
Shaquille Heath: The Black bear — is that this a illustration of your self?
Euan Roberts: I suppose all my work has autobiographical components and for certain some individuals see me because the bear. I’m fairly tall and enormous, usually sluggish shifting, however I’d prefer to assume I’ve a fast flip of tempo. The bears for me represents an unobtainable degree of zen presence. The bear is all the time in touch with its surroundings, even when meaning it’s removed from its common habitat. The bear is sort of a absolutely realised being, like yoda or a zen grasp, relaxed, tuned in and current. All realizing, but on the identical time a clean slate for us to undertaking our ideas, emotions and feelings.
Ahh very zen! Whereas all of the animal creatures are removed from their houses, the shark appears to be essentially the most misplaced for me. Presumably as a result of he’s actually current exterior of what provides him life. Does it really feel that approach for you?
In my imagined universe the shark represents precisely that, a sure feeling of isolation and misplacement. The shark can also be emblematic for male vulnerability. Very often the shark in my artwork is crying and permitting its feelings to be felt. That is to disarm the viewer and present that regardless of being this environment friendly killer and apex predator the shark feels judged and burdened by that weight.
I believe my shark is the Yin to Hirst’s Yang. His is fearsome, ferocious and haunts the viewer reminding them of their impermanence and the way fragile we’re. Whereas my shark is uninterested in pretending to be scary, it cry’s, it eats pizza and cheeseburgers, it needs to be cherished, it’s us!
Do you favor animals over people?
I wouldn’t say I desire animals to people, I believe we’re only a continuum of the animal kingdom. We would put on fancy garments, stare at screens and fly in tubes the world over however all of us have the identical wants on the finish of the day. I believe animals have this inherent comedic rhythm in them. And if you juxtapose them with our manufactured world it creates this absurdity which displays on how loopy our existence on earth is.
Clearly humor appears to be your most well-liked way of living. What do you assume is your funniest work?
I did a few work of Dennis Rodman as a cat, which actually amused me. I believe I used to be impressed by that collection The Final Dance and was fascinated by Rodman’s freedom of expression in how he dressed and offered himself. As a Black man who cross dressed, wore make up, was closely tattooed and pierced and dressed to shock while being an expert sports activities star made for such visceral inspiration. I had this concept that Rodman’s 90s model had actually influenced Gen Z vogue and I believed a cat was the animal that maybe encapsulates that post-internet period one of the best.
This could be random, however I really feel such as you might need an awesome knock-knock joke to share…
My accomplice learn this query to me whereas we had been driving and I made myself snigger out loud. This undoubtedly says extra about me and my lame sense of humour than the standard of the gags.
Knock knock
Who’s there?
Interrupting Cow.
Interrupting cow who…?
MOOOOOOO
https://www.antlerpdx.com/collections/euan-roberts-take-me-away-from-this-lonesome-town