Figments of the Untamed

Wayne Paige
Curated by Adah Rose Bitterbaum

Wednesday, January 31st through Saturday, February 24th, 2024

Since 1997 I have retreated to a life inside an imaginary inkwell- a black and white graphic world of duality sprinkled with social commentary and Dreamscape imagery. Recent events from the pandemic to economic and social upheaval caused the well to nearly overflow and had me swimming frantically within. While trying to absorb this sensory overload and then apply it to my art, a decision was made. It was time to take a step back (way back), dig a little deeper and draw more upon personal experiences and inspirations especially from my mid 1950’s childhood in Chicago.

Animal Kingdom was a pet store a short walk from where I lived and provided a wealth of insight to an eight-year-old who enjoyed drawing animals. It was more than the typical pet store. Initially, it opened as a conventional pet shop selling puppies, kittens, and fish, but over time the shop expanded, and more non-traditional and exotic animals were added. Later, dogs, cats and goldfish were joined by monkeys, tigers, and exotic birds. I imagined them in the wild, uncaged, untamed and drew them as such.

Until recently, my ink drawings included mountains, waterways, and woodlands populated by bipedal beings engaged in unforeseen events. However, after a seventy- plus year hiatus, the animals of my youth returned. They, along with spiritual entities had taken over the landscape, replacing the bipedal beings with squirrels, foxes, and a whole host of other creatures both imagined and real. By tapping into my childhood memory, the content of my work expanded and yet remained consistent with the overall focus of my previous work which is creating art that embraces conflict, dreams, and absurdity.