Curiosity Shouldn’t Kill the Cat

Flynn Denby

Year 12

School: Shenton College

Medium: Digital

Artist statement: My digital artwork aims to capture the childlike innocence of exploration and curiosity that everyone carries. I was inspired by Maurits Cornelius Escher and the illustrator of the children’s book series Where’s Wally: Martin Handford – two artists who encapsulate my childhood fascination with discovery. Both incorporate the idea of human curiosity, with Escher’s paradoxical geometrical structures that seems to defy the basic logic of depth, and Handford’s love of large, detailed crowds. My work contain references to personal experiences as well as to pop culture. I aimed to draw the viewer in, with segmented areas that act as miniature scenes, such as the beach and farmlands. My artwork was made digitally, allowing fine detailing at the pixel level. It is interactive by nature and encourages the viewer to get up close and examine the details. As a reward for this curiosity, viewers will discover references to Back to the Future, Star Wars, superheroes and famous cartoon characters. My artwork is intended to be a love letter to the children’s books I grew up with and that I never managed to put away.