The artwork of Lucius is that rare bridge , or better yet , conduit between those two powerful worlds . In his work , the real and the fantastic collide , blend , and morph into something new . It is almost scientifi c . It is , without doubt , otherworldly . His effortless harmonization of two seemingly disparate worlds welcomes the viewer into this new space , a space he calls “ a limbo between surrealism and pop .”
Salvador Dalí and Andy Warhol are obviously his muses . He is the self-proclaimed “ love child ” of the two . With progenitors like Dalí and Warhol , one can never really feel at home living solely in reality or in fantasy . Having Lady Gaga — the pop world ’ s most creative multi-hyphenate — as your patron saint only reinforces that fact . Each world is too limiting . Yes , even a purely fantastic world can be too restrictive for an artist because it limits the artist ’ s audience . Lucius ’ audience is all of humanity . It is in that mysterious unknown — the chasm where the two worlds meet , that new space — where the work happens . The human becomes the divine . The creation becomes the creator . Lucius is fully aware of this profound transformation and all that it requires . Of this personal and creative “ reinvention ,” he says , “ I had to accept that as a lifestyle and not just call myself an artist . I wanted to be one .”
Pouring his being , passion , and personal truth into each piece , Lucius creates artwork that combines art historical references ( the real world ) with colors and imagery seen only on the best acid trips ( the fantasy world ). The collage technique is used brilliantly as images from antiquity , vibrant colors , and kaleidoscopic patterns overlap and bleed into each other . There are layers ; so many complex and surprising layers .
In his piece from 2014 , Greetings Himeros , Lucius focuses on two sculptural heads from antiquity . In Phantasmagorgon , a piece from the same year , the subject is the sculptural head of the ancient , mythological creature , Gorgon . One look at 2014 ’ s Tempt Me to Madness and your average art historian ( like the humble writer of this piece ) sees a reference to Matisse ’ s Dance in the movement of the fi gures ’ bodies . These art historical references ground the viewer in the real world . They are the “ known unknowns ”— things that everyday , ordinary people recognize even if they cannot identify their provenance . The Gorgon ’ s head might have been a memory from an old text book on a chapter that discussed Greek mythology . Matisse ’ s painting of Dance may have been on a notecard from a friend who wanted to reconnect after years apart .
Including art historical references that are superfi cially recognizable , but require no further inquiry to appreciate them , is the key . In the piece Phantasmagorgon , the viewers need only recognize that the focus of the artwork is the head of Medusa . The artist who carved the sculpture , the date it was created , and its current location in the world is unimportant . Lucius makes the initial connection with the viewer by fi nding commonality with him or her in the real world . It is in this moment of comfortable recognition that the fantasy world collides with reality . It is too late to turn back and the viewer is right where Lucius intended . In Phantasmagorgon , rivers of color fl ow in and out of the Gorgon ’ s head . Upon closer inspection , the viewer sees handdrawn eyes and snakes surrounding the fi gure . There is so much to look at in this one piece that the viewer ’ s eye cannot rest on one thing . It is like Lucius is reaching through the piece , grabbing the viewer by the eyes and pulling them into the artwork . The viewer is no longer a passive participant . Through his work , the viewer gets to experience the same chasm between two worlds in which Lucius resides .
left : Phantasimgorgon , mixed media on canvas print below : artPOPIST , mixed media on canvas print
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