Juan Rodas

About the Artist

Artist's Statement

My drawings depict worlds that have been inspired by the stories of Jorge Luis Borges, Salman Rushdie, and H.P. Lovecraft. These drawongs are not meant to illustrate their worlds directly, but demonstrate an appreciation of a naturalistic/scientific/rational reality through imagery that conveys neither naturalism,science, or reason. My most recent drawings convey megastructures that belong to the superstitious origins of civilization. These structures, once symbols of power, now appear defanged as objects of voyeurism. They can be appreciated for their beauty rather than standing as symbols of power. In short, they are an allegory for my views on religion. How much more interesting it becomes when recognized as myth and literature rather than a dictate for compulsory love. In college I studied illustration and later came to printmaking having been inspired by the work of Peter Milton and Kathe Kollwitz. It is the narrative nature of illustration that continues throughout my work, an interplay between text and imagery to vaguely communicate an idea. In order to create this imagery I construct crude buildings using free 3D software which is then rendered in Photoshop using a stylus as if it were a physical drawing. For a long time I was hesitant to venture beyond any traditional media because of the imagined idea of purity in traditional art. Once I left that mindset and embraced new media, my work has been able to grow, allowing me to create my own worlds and relying less on the one I observe.