Pioneer of aerosol X-ray art SHOK-1 brings his truly unique style to Paris for the first time with this independently produced mural entitled “Dark Magic”.
The British artist subverts the classic trope of the shadow puppet animal by spraypainting an X-ray of a rabbit in place of the shadow. He creates dramatic contrast in the piece by rendering the hands in the perhaps unexpected medium of brush and ink. During a career spanning over 30 years he has experimented with and mastered many styles and methods, this is an example of him drawing on his background to create a richer artwork.
As with all of his works, the piece manifests conceptual depth as well as technical virtuosity – “I think in the final extreme, art, science and magic are the same thing”, he says, hinting at his intentions for the painting.
The artist is not new to Paris, having first visited in the 80’s to take in the highly regarded graffiti scene there. The mural appears on the side of the Ecole Saint Maur in the heart of the city.
The project germinated at last year’s Art Basel in Miami when SHOK-1 and the Parisian artist Franck Duvall FKDL met and became friends. Franck invited SHOK-1 to stay at his apartment in the heart of the city and offered him a wall to paint. He helped out by supplying ladders and emulsion and kindly acted as assistant during production.
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