And a Preview of Eyes Without A Face 2
Here at Super Kaiju, it is absolutely no secret that we love Jason Edmiston. When we last interviewed him two years ago, we did not shy away from our excitement for his work (it was embarrassing, really).
From screenprints to comic books to toy packaging, Edmiston is one of the most unique and talented artists in the space today. If you take a quick look at either of our apartments’ walls, you’ll see him everywhere: I have his incredible, Texas Frightmare-exclusive rendition of The Thing (one of our Top 10 Prints of the Year) hanging, while my partner-in-crime has three different pieces displayed (special renditions of Jason, Leatherface and Michael Myers).
But this Friday, we have a new mission: get original art from the master himself.
On February 9, the doors to the Mondo Gallery in Austin, TX will open to reveal Edmiston’s latest project: “Eyes Without A Face 2”. With 95 new, original acrylic paintings (as well as the accompanying pencil originals), he has recreated sets of, as the press release says, “iconic culture eyes from movies, TV, comics, games and more. Presented in life-sized proportions, sizes range from the peepers of tiny toy people to the fiery orbs of snarling behemoths.”
We’ll be in attendance, braving the line and checking out the paintings for ourselves (and hopefully taking one home), so be sure to check back to see an up-close look at the gallery on Friday. But, for now, Jason himself was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about the upcoming exhibit, ranging from his process to some teases about a few future projects. We are officially counting down the days until our trip to Austin.
This interview has been slightly edited for both clarity and brevity.
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions! We’re sure you’ve been very busy putting the final touches on this show. How does inspiration come to you for which characters you select to paint?
I’m fascinated with the aesthetics of well-known personalities and what makes them distinct and memorable. A lot of the time, it comes down to facial features, since that is what is responsible for most of the emotional connection we have to these characters. I try to let my mind wander and think of all the different features that make those eyes special: are they squinty or bug-eyed or robotic? Do they have furry brows or a patch or heavy lids?
For the first Eyes Without A Face show in 2015, I know you culled from a list of almost 300 … how many of those made the cut this time?
I carried over a few of the unused concepts from the last show and added another 200 or so new ones to the list. I’m always thinking of new ones, adding them to a list on my phone as I do. Over the period of a few weeks, Mondo’s Rob Jones and Mitch Putnam helped me pare down that list, focusing on the most interesting subjects, with the widest possible variety.
I ended up completing 95 new pieces.
How did you come up with your initial idea for the “Eyes” concept for the 2015 show? I love how you can tell exactly who the subject is, with only a brief window into their icon.
I’ve always loved painting portraits, as well as the challenge of capturing likenesses. When conceptualizing my new solo show at the Mondo Gallery, I imagined painting a series of portraits of popular characters, in the same format, in the same shape, for each piece. A song with a repeating note, if you will. What if I were to concentrate on the one element that each of them shared, the feature that made them captivating?
Just their eyes.
Would that be enough information to portray them? Would it be interesting? After discussing the possibilities with the gallery, they were very enthusiastic about the possibilities. I settled on a rectangular crop of each portrait, painted 1:1 scale for each. Tiny toys were an inch wide, humanoids were the size of a mail slot, and giant monsters were the size of a doorway. But when viewed as a series, they would all be that same note.
The first show ended up being a huge success and I decided to continue with the series.
What’s the average timing for how long it takes you to finish for each painting, from pencils to completion?
Most average-size pieces take approximately 8 to 10 hours to create, from start to finish. This includes conceptualizing, gathering reference, drawing and painting. They take a little longer than they used to, as I’m really trying to push myself with detail and realism.
This new collection of paintings is possibly my most refined work to date.
Has there ever been a character from pop culture for these paintings that you just can’t get right, for some reason? You just try and try again and it doesn’t seem to stick?
There have been a couple, but it usually comes down to reference.
Because, for the most part I’m relying on found images and not shooting my own reference, I’m at the mercy of screen grabs, Google image searches and archived photos of popular figures. I often try to combine these photos in a new way, by adding my own lighting or expression, but I need the main photos to have a certain degree of information.
Sometimes they are lacking in either detail or clarity and there just isn’t enough information present to create a compelling portrait. I sometimes get about 75% through, then realize I just can’t make it happen, so I scrap it, and move on. I did cut a few from this show that just weren’t coming together so I really believe what will be on display is a tight collection of pieces that really do work.
I know you’ve announced that you have family coming in for the gallery show, who have posed for your different pieces over the years. I might be bringing my Hateful Eight for them to sign, which I think is a fun idea. Do you use them as reference at all for the EWAF?
I hope you do! They’d be happy to sign them. I’ve been using my father specifically as my main art model for the last 25 years, but he did not pose for these in almost every case, as they were made up of found reference.
How do you and the Mondo team typically decide to lay out the gallery aspect of the show? Thematically?
The last show was laid out at complete random. We just wanted a variety of appearance, although it was structured as a grid of sorts.
This new show might be little different, however. I’ve been toying with the idea of hanging them by color, or similar features. This will be decided within the next couple days.
Well, people are very excited. I know we already have at least one person lined up for the show already (this interview is being conducted 9 days before the show even begins). How have fans reacted to the series over the years, with both the OGs and the prints you release at different conventions?
My favorite part of the creation process is sharing my art and watching others enjoy it. Followers of my work have been incredibly supportive of the series, with most of the prints becoming incredibly popular, with all of the originals selling. I also have a long list of private commissions for the series that I hope to get through soon.
It’s incredibly rewarding, as I love painting this series, and want it to continue. Although, at this point, I’m knackered, and could really use a break.
We bet! Switching topics slightly: we’ve also been really enjoying the Walking Dead variants you’ve been doing, as well as the awesome toy packaging. Anything you’ve been really excited to work on? What has that process with that team been like?
Thank you. Those projects for Skybound and McFarlane Toys have been a blast. The Walking Dead is my favorite series and I love working on toy art of any kind. It was one of the main reasons for me becoming a professional commercial artist. Skybound’s Shawn Kirkham and Andres Juarez were incredibly supportive and encouraging throughout the process, allowing me quite a bit of artistic freedom. The Walking Dead creator, Robert Kirkman, loved what I did for them, as well. He was very gracious.
I have a few future things in the works but it is still too early to talk about them. All the toy companies that I’ve worked with have been fabulous, actually: Hasbro, NECA, Super7. I’ve been very lucky. They all talk amongst themselves, so if you’re difficult to work with, it gets around.
Any major surprises for fans that you can tease, whether at this show or in the future?
At this show, expect the largest painting I’ve ever done, at 22 feet long. It takes up the entire length of the gallery.
What’s coming up next for you in 2018? I know at MondoCon we heard a … rumor about a potential trilogy you’ve been working on.
As far as posters go, I can’t say what property it is, but I’m working on a huge timed edition series, which we’ll hear about in the very near future. A few months ago, I also did extensive color separations for a big Mondo screen print release that will be announced soon, but It’s been a long time since I’ve worked on an original screen print movie poster. I’m excited about diving back in after the gallery show opens.
Many more posters planned for this year!
We really can’t wait. Thanks for taking the time and we’ll see you on Friday.
Mondo Gallery Presents “Eyes Without A Face 2”, by Jason Edmiston. The show opens Friday, February 9, and will be on display until Saturday, February 17. It is free and open to the public and, judging by this interview, is really going to be something to behold.
