Delta Center for the Arts
LH Horton Jr Gallery presents
The Illustrated Adventures of a Mythical
Troupe of Singing Fish from Montreal
digital paintings by Tom Lundquist
Exhibition: November 12 - December 16
Reception: November 12th, 5-7pm
Artist Statement
The Poissons de Chant series of prints illustrates the adventures of a mythical troupe of singing fish from Montreal. Most of the characters are production assistants, agents, accountants, or animal performers that work for the fish. When the "poissons" appear, they are usually hidden in bowls.
I first thought of illustrating this series while staying in Montreal in the summer of 2004. It was during Franco Follies, when they block off streets downtown to set up outdoor stages that feature French language musical acts day and night for a week. I had previously made a print that used relief sculptures of fish swimming across a digital model of a building in London, and the image seemed to engage everyone’s imagination. I decided to whimsically merge the spirit of that print with the French theatrical extravaganza going on around me.
The elaborate narrative that is described in the series doesn't really exist. Though a number of people have suggested that I write a story to go with the illustrations, the only thing I really enjoy doing is making pictures. PdC currently runs to 62 prints and will probably be one of my continuing projects for quite some time.
Everything in this exhibit is produced through some form of digital modeling and/or digital painting. I turned to computer imagery after spending much of my youth making elaborately detailed drawings. The ability to create much more complex images was an irresistible draw and I was willing to put aside traditional drawing values to do it.
I live in Santa Monica, California, and teach part time at Santa Monica College.
