The Art of Pop Culture
Eric Maruscak
Opening Reception December 7 2018 6:00PM – 9:00PM
Located in the Bundy Museum 3rd Floor Art Gallery
Exhibition on Display from 12.7.18 – 1.1.19
As an artist, my direction has shifted with the times. As a child, I wanted to be a cartoonist and publish a newspaper strip like Bloom County or The Far Side. As a teen, I worked at creating sequential art and telling longer-form stories for comics and graphic novels. In early adulthood I grew to love concept art, and strove to create illustrations for movies, special effects visualization, and book covers.
“my love of Pop Culture, the escapism it brings has fascinated me as long as I can remember”
All along the way there has been a consistent thread to my art, and that is my love of Pop Culture, the escapism it brings has fascinated me as long as I can remember. Little did I know that my big break into the world of Pop Culture would come not with pencil and paper, but with chalk and pavement.
In 2004 I took part in a Street Painting Festival in Endicott, NY. It turned out that I enjoyed working on public art, something awoke in me through the interaction of people watching while I created, and I felt compelled to explore it further. I started making giant super hero street paintings, recreating the work of Alex Ross, Dale Keown, and other comic artists I admired.
In the Spring of 2006 I attended a comic convention in Philadelphia. While having my portfolio reviewed by an another artist, he saw my Super Hero chalk work. Turning my portfolio to someone standing next to me he said "This stuff is cool, he should do it at conventions, don't you think?" Out of the 50,000 or so people in attendance, it turned out that the person next to me at that moment happened to be the Director of the convention, and he agreed. After several months of correspondence, I made my first appearance at a comic convention in the Summer of 2006 in Chicago, Illinois.
Over the years I've appeared at an increasing number of conventions, some for comic books, others for video games and anime. Companies in attendance began to notice my work, and asked for me to advertise their products with my chalk murals. I have created for brands such as Nintendo, Lucasfilm, Warner Brothers, NBCUniversal, Nickelodeon, ESPN, DC and Marvel Comics, Crayola, FUNimation, Viz Media, Crunchyroll, and many others. My appearances have taken me to all corners of the country including Chicago, Dallas, Orlando, Washington DC, Philadelphia, NYC, Seattle, Lost Angeles, and even creating a mural at the San Diego Comic Con.
In time, I have come back around to my early loves, creating Web Comics for LeftField Media and their AwesomeCon Convention in DC, illustrating tee shirts for the New York Comic Con's apparel line including Marvel and Star Wars themed designs, and working on my own comic book stories to self publish through my website.
I am incredibly grateful for the work I have been lucky enough to make so far, and I am always looking forward to my next surprise adventure. I hope you enjoy the art!
Eric Maruscak
www.pepperink.com
November 2018