Elbowtoe’s Everyman poses the eternal question: “Hey brother, can you spare a dime?…”

Brooklyn-based anatomically named artist ELBOW TOE is commemorating the Great 21st Century Depression of our modern age by creating a fresh body of fine art based around the central character of the “Everyman,” who has just made his debut on the wall in downtown Williamsburg. In the words of the artist:

My current body of work is an allegory about memory’s power to hold us back or move us forward. The central character in this parable is a 6′ x 10′ linocut of an Everyman, who has lost it all and wanders the plains with all his belongings strapped to his back. He navigates a world in crisis by learning from his past. The remainder of the characters that he encounters are individuals lost in regret. I have developed these paintings and prints during the American housing and credit crisis of the past year. In contemplating where we are and where we might be, I have found myself looking back at history, remembering the Great Depression, and considering what effects it had on the American psyche. The uncertainty that existed then is present now, and I am addressing the kind of escapism through nostalgia that can occur in the midst of calamity. Every character that the Everyman sees is gripped by this need to escape their present circumstance. They are people lost in a memory at the very point when they should be paying attention to what lies ahead.”

HAVE A LOOK:

Portrait of the artist as a young Minotaur in his Brooklyn studio…

This entry was posted on Monday, December 1st, 2008 at 7:01 pm and is filed under Brooklyn, Graffiti, NYC, News, Street Art, art. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.