Art Project "Down In the Dungeon"

Here are some shots of the beginning of an art project I am working on called...for now at least...Down in the Dungeon.

What you see above is not what it will be...the final paint coat will be key to making this what I want it to be.

I am a big fan of collage art and make quite a bit of that.

Most of my collage art is not fantasy themed, though, so I don't share it on the Mazes... Down in the Dungeon, however, is meant to evoke an old school D&D vibe.

The pieces so far are all found/bought/scavenged toys and game pieces.

The death's head is from a bottle of cologne I had, some of the dungeon heroes are either plastic knights from a dollar store toy rack or salvaged board game pieces. The robes on Death are paper towels soaked in glue and water.

Obviously the maze structures are all Styrofoam but I brushed them with acetone to pit and age them. I will prime them black and then drybrush them to look like stone.

The frame and the fabric art in it were bought at a thrift store for ten bucks. Of course the fabric will disappear when I start the paper mache. And I still need some 3D pieces for the maze chambers. Pieces that are too round for setting on a flat canvas are sanded down flat on one side. 

The chess pieces are added to emphasize the game element and the fact that we can be any piece on the board we want to be...

I have not completely decided the colours that will be used in the piece, whether realistically painted or otherwise, I don't yet know.Part of me wants to add something mechanical to it, like a clock or do something with either glow in the dark or fluorescent blacklight paints.

I'd also kind of like to obtain or make some of those images that present the illusion of movement due to the wavy line placements. We shall see. I have an old cut up D&D 1st ed. Monster Manual that I may cannibalize for some Trampier or Sutherland images in the "rooms"--since I'm not going to be selling the piece I don't have any qualms about that. But they aren't really big enough. Instead I'd like to find some more cheap toys or old odds and ends cause I'd really like even more relief in it but I don't want King Death overshadowed, for he is in fact the Dungeon Master here. 

I will be adding many other pieces...currently keeping an eye out for a small hourglass, for example. Also, a skeleton key. And I'll be throwing in some symbolism and riddles to reward the patient observer. I will not reveal these in the blog but I will give one away: the chess piece above Death's head was not placed accidentally...

 

Why throw sh* away? I will post photos of the evolving art piece.