In July 2017, I began illustrating each canto of Dante's Commedia. I wanted to explore the poem’s central focus on the experience of exile and how someone in isolation moves through space and time. New York in 2019 feels like a time of political and social upheaval, not unlike Florence in 1307, when Dante began his poem. Unlike other artist's renderings of his journey, my drawings bring critical attention to the class structures underpinning the writing. While a view from underneath is never flattering, it is essential now more than ever to reconsider who is damned and who is saved, both in Dante's and our own time. By incorporating different materials, technical handling and sources, the drawings achieve a layered quality, correlating with the density of the text. My drawings revere the language while excoriating the assumptions, arriving at a fresh and potent new Divine Comedy.
Canto 1
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, Flashe, watercolor, oil and Coloraid on paper
15"x22"
Canto 2
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, Flashe, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer, coffee, sticker and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 3
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer, Coloraid and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 4
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, Flashe, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 5
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, Flashe, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer, Starburst wrapper and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 6
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, Flashe, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer, coffee, beer cap and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 7
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, Flashe, watercolor, oil, Coloraid, solvent transfer, coffee and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 8
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, Flashe, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer, coffee and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 9
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 10
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, Conte crayon, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer, tea and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 11
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, Conte crayon, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer, coffee and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 12
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, oil, Coloraid, solvent transfer, beer and collage on paper
15i"x22"
Canto 13
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 14
2017
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 15
2018
graphite, pastel, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 16
2018
graphite, pastel, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 17
2018
graphite, pastel, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 18
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer, coffee, tissue paper and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 19
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 20
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, lipstick, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 21
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 22
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 23
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 24
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, solvent transfer, and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 25
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, sticker, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 26
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 27
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 28
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, solvent transfer, Coloraid and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 29
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, pastel, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 30
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 31
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 32
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, oil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 33
2018
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 34
2019
graphite, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 35 (Purgatory 1)
2019
graphite, ink, gouache, watercolor, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 36 (Purgatory 2)
2019
graphite, grease pencil, ink, gouache, watercolor and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 37 (Purgatory 3)
2019
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, Flashe, watercolor, Coloraid, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 38 (Purgatory 4)
2019
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, Flashe, watercolor, solvent transfer, coffee and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 39 (Purgatory 5)
2019
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 40 (Purgatory 6)
2019
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 41 (Purgatory 7)
2019
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 42 (Purgatory 8)
2019
graphite, charcoal, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 43 (Purgatory 9)
2019
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 44 (Purgatory 10)
2019
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 45 (Purgatory 11)
2019
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 46 (Purgatory 12)
2019
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 47 (Purgatory 13)
2019
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 48 (Purgatory 14)
2019
15"x22"
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
Canto 49 (Purgatory 15)
2019
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 50 (Purgatory 16)
2019
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor and colored pencil on paper
15"x22"
Canto 51 (Purgatory 17)
2019
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 52 (Purgatory 18)
2019
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor and colored pencil on paper
15"x22"
Canto 53 (Purgatory 19)
2020
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 54 (Purgatory 20)
2020
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 55 (Purgatory 21)
2020
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 56 (Purgatory 22)
2020
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 57 (Purgatory 23)
2020
graphite, ink, marker, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 58 (Purgatory 24)
2020
graphite, ink, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 59 (Purgatory 25)
2020
graphite, ink, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 60 (Purgatory 26)
2020
graphite, ink, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 61 (Purgatory 27)
2020
graphite, ink, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 62 (Purgatory 28)
2020
graphite, ink, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 63 (Purgatory 29)
2020
graphite, ink, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, solvent transfer and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 64 (Purgatory 30)
2020
graphite, ink, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 65 (Purgatory 31)
2020
graphite, ink, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 66 (Purgatory 32)
2020
graphite, ink, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 67 (Purgatory 33)
2020
graphite, walnut ink, sumi ink, gouache, watercolor and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 68 (Paradise 1)
2020
graphite, walnut ink, sumi ink, gouache, watercolor and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 69 (Paradise 2)
2020
graphite, sumi ink, gouache, watercolor, gold leaf and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 70 (Paradise 3)
2020
graphite, sumi ink, gouache, watercolor and collage on paper
15"x22"
Canto 71 (Paradise 4)
2020
graphite, walnut ink, sumi ink, gouache, watercolor and collage on paper
15"x22"