Trenton Doyle Hancock

Depending on where you go to look for collage, you can find a million ways it is represented. Sometimes collage is portrayed as an extension of scrapbooking craft for bored housewives who want to make stuff. Sometimes collage is edgy, and in the news and bigger than life. Sometimes collage is fineart, shown in a gallery setting.
Today I found these most mahvelous works in the fineart setting. Trenton Doyle Hancock has a show going on at the James Cohan Gallery. The show ends on January 10, Saturday, so if you are in New York you might want to take this in.
Trenton Doyle Hancock has created a very fascinating fantasy scenario and turned it into an elaborately illustrated tale using various media.
From the James Cohan Gallery site...
"In this new body of work, which includes paintings, wall drawings and prints, Hancock continues a retelling of his sprawling, epic battle between the forces of good, as represented by Mounds and their color-filled world, and evil, as embodied by the skeletal Vegans who live underground in a world of black and white. Peaceful creatures, Mounds survive on Mound Meat, a pink substance that once ingested allows all to experience a life of color. At the center of Hancock's tale are two pivotal characters: Vegan leader, Betto Watchow, and enlightened Vegan prophet, St. Sesom, who introduces Vegans to the world of color. Betto views Sesom's proselytizing as traitorous and fears his increasing power. In reaction, Betto launches an all out war against Sesom, his disciples, and the Mounds."
Bizarre right? But thought provoking to be sure.

I really liked these, especially this one above, with the super effective pink and black background. Sweet!
The James Cohan Gallery site is here. There's a lot more pix and the rest of the press release there waiting for you. OH, and don't forget Trenton Doyle Hancocks' artwork! That's waiting for you too...at the gallery till Saturday! Get thee there!