Beauty is often found in art. It can catch your every last strand of attention, clinging to the core of your deepest thoughts. The imagination wanders and for that momentary lapse in time you become one with the artist and his or her work. The feeling is humbling but yet exciting and is usually only experienced in a piece of “great” art, and Columbia, Missourian Mike Sleadd makes “great” art.
Standing four feet by five feet tall in Perlow-Stevens Gallery’s front window is Sleadd’s “Phorcys (upon reviewing news of his daughter’s death).” At first glance the drawing is nothing less than intriguing, and it creates an instant presence in the room with its size and use of stark black and white. The lack of color immediately puts focus on the large form, a broken down man’s face. He appears lifeless with a blank stare and deep-set empty eyes that tear right through the viewer. After glancing at the title, it all makes sense. He has lost his child.
There is a connection that can almost instantaneously be made from the art to the viewer. Appearing skeletal and lifeless, the figure becomes refreshingly haunting. His lack of emotion assists the viewer in sparking his or her own emotions. One can truly dive into his soul, feeling the emptiness right along with him, and there is no doubt that the piece’s purpose was to play with these emotions.
Sleadd has been known for his use of complex subjects and extremely intricate details in his smaller drawings, but after coming down with a case of carpal tunnel, he made the switch to a “full-arm” technique with “Phorcys.” He truly found his niche, creating movement with long sporadic and fluid lines as well as keeping with his highly detailed style with the use of tiny crosshatches and marks. The technique is controlled and tactile, and the overall composition is laid out in such a pleasingly busy way, the viewer has no choice but to study the drawing top to bottom, side to side, far away and close-up.
Mastering his technique with his choice of media and the way he applies it is the reason why “Phorcys” is so powerful. He uses a feather pen and ink in a way other artists should be more willing to try out. What looks as though it was accomplished with ease and randomness is very carefully thought out down to every last overlapping line. There is such delicacy in the work that can only be seen close up, but when viewed is breath taking.
“Phorcys” is a piece of artwork that should be appreciated for its beauty in both its content and style. Without such an aggressively calm approach to the drawing, the reaction the piece provokes would have weakened. An artist’s personal style is what separates them from the rest of the art world, and Sleadd has found his way to do just that. When asked about his art he said, “This might be the only life I have. I've decided to spend the bulk of this one as an artist 'cause next time I might come back as a newt. It would be hard to hold a pen as a newt.”
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