Ambient Air

Apr 3

Written By

Ambient Air
abstract comic book
ink, graphite, whiteout tape, tape, nontext, and bubbles on translucent mylar
14” x 11”

The imprecision of language and our persistent attempt to relay the ineffable through storytelling and narrative have been one of the underlying themes in much of my work. Though we do our best with the tools and details given, something is always lost in translation. The fullness of experience is too complex: the present moment, memory, and our expectations of the future all intersect. To me, the sharing of experiences sometimes feels like trying to grasp the tail of something not quite seen. My sculptures and drawings are often constructed simply, with one motif–usually handspun thread tangles or inkblots- layered many times over a number of “pages”. In this sense they are book-like.

Recently I have been exploring the tools and techniques of sequential art while attempting to develop a more complex two-dimensional language for myself. I intentionally retain the sculptural layering of translucent mylar–even if only between the front and back of the single strips–as a way to inform the viewer through anticipation and memory. The use of white-out tape, burst bubbles, asemic writing, and layered text are all allusions to lost and vague dialogue.

This comic was begun on a truncated 24 hour comic day in October at The Sequential Artists’ Workshop in Gainesville, FL and finished two months later in December within 24 working hours. It was selected for publication in the 2014 Best of American Comics by Scott McCLoud and Bill Kartalopoulos.

A sincere thank you to Tom Hart at the The Sequential Artist's Workshop for the impetus and the video below.