WILL DEWGRAVE: Reflecting Frames
November 2 - 30, 2024
Associated events:
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November 2: 6-8pm.
Opening Reception. Free & open to the public.
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November 14: 7pm.
Artist Discussion. Admission by donation.
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November 23: 12noon.
Artist guided workshop: Integrating Text and Images.
Registration required by email outsidersandothers@gmail.com Admission by donation.
Outsiders and Others is excited to present a solo exhibition with self taught artist WILL DEWGRAVE. WILL DEWGRAVE specializes in digital illustrations of architecture, and the impossible.
The exhibition will feature a series of one-of-a-kind original prints of digital illustrations that the artist has customized with his writing.
In WILL’S own words:
“WILL DEWGRAVE aims at ineffability and hopes you will find he obtains at least some small degree of such. His work's breadth sprawls across purportedly disparate topics, knitting them in a seamless blend. He is from Vancouver originally, stands a quarter-century old, and holds a Bachelor's in English and Communications. He began drawing to occupy ambient channels in his mind during classes, and has kept at it for a decade to date.
WILL DEWGRAVE began by drawing letters in a graffiti style, moved on to drawing buildings, and expanded his remit from there. He considers drawing to be an activity which enhances an individuals capacity to consider the worlds both without and within them. He also believes that drawing, like writing, enables an individual to expand the degree of information that they transmit to others. He draws predominantly in black as that way the artworks are more easily stored and transferred between mediums.
WILL DEWGRAVE is influenced by an ambition for greater environs, and a desire to do some good for a world which has given him so much. He hopes his work is able to spark conversations and foster understanding between people who might not otherwise have connected. While he recognizes the controversy surrounding much of what his work can touch upon, he remains committed to pursuing being a positive force within these sectors.”
Don't miss the chance to see the artwork of a young inspired artist at the beginning of their career.
WILL DEWGRAVE
Landscaping
One of a kind archival giclee print on paper with additions by the artist.
30” x 24”
$375 + tax
“A very early work of mine, Landscaping depicts a building and surrounding landscape being fractured by framing effects. Around the building bloom some decidedly antagonistic flowers which have ‘don’t pick me’ written all over them.
These flowers are ironic. They present in the overt style of something beautiful and soft, and yet are detailed with imagery that warns against engagement.
Writing has been included around the border of the image as well as in a hidden location in the piece, potentially augmenting and potentially inhibiting the impact of the work.
The framing effects have been included so as to reinforce the viewer’s awareness that this is a two-dimensional image. Something of a formal play, they tease and tickle the mind as the eye tries to follow their interlacing.
A frame narrative is one in which a character in a story tells another story. It is one of the subsects of meta-writing. A story in a story is logarithmically more potent than a lone tale. A picture within a picture is perhaps likewise, but I’m no mathematician.
The inclusion of a sacred number, 451, references the predilection of authority figures to erase information which subverts their purposes. The viewer should read burned books, perhaps even go so far as to question why libraries seem so targeted.
A critic might suggest that these elements are disparate, and do not unify into a thematic cohesion in the same manner as many other works here displayed. While within the artwork the elements are wide-ranging, they knit with others on display. Ha.
The aforementioned vitriolic critic may further reflect that even at the time of illustrating the illustrator was aware of the diverse elements, and how they might prove an impediment to the interpretation of this. Does the fact I noticed aid things?
One of the motifs of my work is building, and architecture. The reason for this is I am so tired of finding buildings which we pour untold resources into edifying, being cookie-cutter inoffensive constructions. Bring on the Byzantine!
Of course, a wise viewer might further recognize that everything is constructed and built if we take a very generalized interpretation of these words’ definitions. I’m not just talking about buildings anymore, and perhaps I never was.”
WILL DEWGRAVE
Citadel Twelve
One of a kind archival giclee print on paper with additions by the artist
19.75” x 19.75”
21” x 21”
$245 + tax / unframed
“This piece is an experiment on symmetricizing buildings in a quaternary structure, which is more technical illustration than thematic art.
The intent with this work was to create an image which had a palpable weight and density to it, something which would hang adamantine upon the eye.
It became clear that by using a single point perspective, in this instance, the lines could be made to collapse backwards on themselves forming a triangle (see a similarity in Impregnable).
Four of these triangles could be integrated to form the square you now see. All that was left was to add detailing.
It is far too easy to allow most of the page to remain unimposed upon, and this artwork has been carefully constructed so that the majority of the page is taken up with semantically pertinent design elements.
The windows of the buildings have been depicted in such a way as to suggest elaborate bars on the windows, adding to the sense that this is no airy chateau, but instead a reinforced bastion of protection, a militarized installation which resists all violation.
The windows of each quadrant are made to meet in the middle, forming overall a large cross, which is augmented by a diagonal cross constructed alongside it; this almost suggests a union jack.
This piece is not necessarily one which seeks to summon much discussion or debate, instead it seeks to entertain aesthetically using a very constrained range of symbols to please the eye and tickle the mind.
Furthermore, while it may appear as if the piece was constructed in one quadrant before being duplicated twice, this is not the case.
The exact drawing process for this piece would only be determinable by an algorithm trained to detect small variations in the drawing, which would be able to show which order elements were constructed in.”
WILL DEWGRAVE
Impregnable
One of a kind archival giclee print on paper with additions by the artist
21” x 21”
$245 + tax / unframed
“This piece began with the symbol that can be seen in each corner, which can be considered a microcosm of the macrocosm, in that it has a quaternary symmetry much as the larger piece does.
What’s in a quaternary? Duality is sacred; the duality of duality ditto. Numerology in symmetry suggests the importance of considering each side of a paradigm.
The symbols in each corner depict a cross made out of four swords in four stones, as well as four bows being aimed at four diminutive black apples, referencing the tales of King Arthur and William Tell.
The chronism of these references matches the chronism of the structures that are incorporated throughout the piece, as crenelated battlements with cruciform arrow slits and vaulted windows are symbols from a bygone age (purportedly).
The use of a unicursal octagram (an eight-pointed star constructed of a continuous line) provides an overt gesture to the occult implications of the work.
The buildings which are rendered three-dimensionally in this piece all have been constructed with single point perspective, with that decision having been made based on how it would affect the viewer’s interpretation of their position pertinent to the work.
By combining this perspective with a quaternary symmetry the buildings are made all the more eldritch, further enhancing the intended impact by forcing the viewers perspective into an altogether untoward one.
The use of turquoise in the piece provides a reprieve from the standard monochrome, while being minimal enough as to retain the cleanliness so sought after.
The trees within the octagram are a head-nod to the forces of nature, potent as they are, and mandated as they must be in any consideration.
Overall, the piece is a form of occult mandala, with the fortress here representing the mental state of an adept, whose cognition is so structured as to both impress with beauty and fortitude in one fell swoop.”
WILL DEWGRAVE
Watchtowers
One of a kind archival giclee print on paper with additions by the artist
38” x 20”
$395 + tax / unframed
“Very much a technical play, Watchtowers presents a mirrored landscape complemented by buildings which splay impossible stairs across them.
Look closely. Imagine the buildings as three-dimensional. Those stairs are only possibly so presented due to the two-dimensional nature of the page.
It looks like I just copied and pasted the top onto the bottom. I didn’t. Yin is never the same as Yang, and yet their techniques are the same. Whatever that waffle is supposed to mean.
This illustration took me the longest of all those displayed in Reflecting Frames to complete, at approximately one year and two months (I worked on other small projects during this time).
Every line is hand drawn in digital format. Every line in every brick took a stroke which I had to digitally stabilize. You can imagine my frustration, my commitment to persevere.
The three faces of each building have been textured separately to elucidate their positions. The mountains’ peaks are drawn using symbol drawing techniques which mesh the notion of shading with abstractified texturing.
The orcas and the leopard seal are approaching a kelp forest in what is less a chase than a comradely game of tag. The boats are each turtled yet upright, suggesting a pirate myth.
Stars are arranged in inverted crosses (sorry); planets have double the usual set of rings around them. Why not?
The rivers which flow into the ocean provide a riparian influence. This is the most liminal of spaces where liquid meets resolute solid and transcendental air.
Flowers and grass present a pleasant scene. While most of my images are dark, cloying, they strive for beauty. There is an incontrovertible melancholy to each image, yet each strives to augment the aesthetic of the environment it is incorporated into.
The trees are garry oaks, a species endemic to Vancouver Island in a diminutive ecological zone which is diminishing daily. Please do your part to protect this and other such biomes.”
WILL DEWGRAVE
Konspyraseas
One of a kind archival giclee print on paper with additions by the artist.
48” x 72”
$1,950 + tax / unframed
“Where to start?
This is an image which explores the progeniture of mankind, according to various conspiratorial sources.
The border is of UFOs and extraterrestrial interdimensional imagery including caves and wormholes to reference our collective galactic seed.
The interior on either side starts off as Egyptian imagery and transitions through Nordic and Celtic imagery integrating with indigenous designs near the most interior area, referencing the transmission of this intergalactic culture through the ancients.
Across the top the imagery of the zodiac and Atlantean imagery reference the enduring elements which appear to have lasted throughout the ages, without bastardization or interpretation.
At the bottom center, the odd symbols are text, which reads ‘KONSPYRASEAS’. This is a play on words, incorporating spy (a reference to the monitoring inherent in the system) and seas (a reference to something fishy) into ‘conspiracies’, with a k thrown in for the fun of it.
The blue and green colours are similarly thrown in more for the sake of aesthetic appeal than thematic impact; having so much work in monochrome tires viewers’ eyes.
At the center are a variety of secret societies' symbols glyphed together to form a larger nexus, into which are included the symbols of other less esoteric groups, which are posited as being integral to the control system.
The integration of all these symbols mirrors the integration of the groups themselves, suggesting a co-dependence between them all.
Overall the piece is an exercise in glyphing–the combination of different symbols to modify their interpretation and point towards a thematic 'point'. 'Konspyraseas' builds on this theme and adds context to the evolution of these groups.”
WILL DEWGRAVE
Playful
One of a kind archival giclee print on paper with additions by the artist
19.75” x 19.75”
$225 + tax / unframed
“At center: two criss-crossed brick staircases (the classics never die), and some chequerboards hinting at the implication of the work holistically.
Alongside the central image on four sides are four chess boards which are double the usual length and height in squares, suggesting a metamorphosed version of this game.
In each corner of this image is a diminutive go board, because while chess gets all the press, it is go which is the more challenging game, computationally speaking. It took AI longer to beat the go masters, after all.
On the edge of each go board is a window with three bars across it–need I spell out the symbolism here? It’s repeated on either side of each large chess board, where faces look from behind barred windows.
Just behind each of these figures is a set of scales, which stands, as scales typically do, for justice. Games have rules, and failure to observe them must result in penalties.
All the world’s a game, and all the men and women merely pieces. I aver that this world is a simulation and the most entertaining thing is what we simulate, which is to say we simulate the choose-your-own-adventure of your waking nightmares.
The rules of the game are akin to bars of a prison cell, in that they restrict our freedom and determine the field of play. This is something of a despondent metaphor, but nevertheless one I’ve found bears fruit when considered.
Once again the motif of bricks and steps rears its head. These symbols represent the piecemeal progress which entities must make in order to obtain larger returns, among other more esoteric things.
Like most of my work, Playful has been drawn in black on white. This ensures that the illustration is easily transferred between mediums. It is cheaper to print a single hue. Etchings can be made of a binary composition.
A perceptive viewer might point out that the elements are not in perfect symmetry, there are certain bricks which have been coloured in. Outlines seem to terminate suddenly. The games’ rules are changing.”
WILL DEWGRAVE
Tucked
One of a kind archival giclee print on paper with additions by the artist
19.75” x 19.75”
$225 + tax / unframed
“More buildings inbound. Here we see a lonely mountain slope where some bright spark has seen fit to construct what any architect worth his salt would consider a travesty.
Fortunately, the question of how an individual might scale the mountain has largely been resolved by an altogether rickety staircase’s descent down the slope.
As the stairs cascade out of the frame, they draw the viewer’s eye to the building’s peak. There is a chair there, a lonely vantage point from which an isolated outcast may look out upon the scene unfolding below.
Meanwhile, at the building’s lower peak a staircase begins and yet appears to disappear entirely. Various searches have been made to ascertain its conclusion point, as yet without fruit.
The building’s various faces each have an associated texture or shading style which distinguish them from the other faces, aiding the viewer to navigate the three dimensions present therein.
A river flows from the higher elevation down into the building, likely providing the inhabitant with a quenching for his thirst. Along the banks of this river grow various examples of flora which harken to my beloved province.
The mountains have been drawn symbolically. Mountains do not really look like this. Despite that, the viewer is immediately arrested by the awareness that mountains they must be. This is the knack to symbol drawing.
It is night time. You can tell by the moon and the stars. Perhaps it is always night here. Despite the apparent nocturnal setting there appears to be ample light cast by the crescent moon which has an occult symbol (a pentacle) on it.
I will be in earnest, I do not always understand the implication of the combination of symbols which I apply. I am insufficiently versed in the occult arts to posit the meaning of a small pentacle combined with a large crescent moon.
Despite this, I know enough to be able to tell that there will be a meaning to these symbols combination, and I have faith enough to hope that fate will render their meaning propitious to Tucked.”
WILL DEWGRAVE
Invert Reason
One of a kind archival giclee print on paper with additions by the artist
38” x 20”
$395 + tax / unframed
“Once again the piece in question is more technical display than thematic comment. Up is down and right is wrong. Lucifer before he fell was a paragon of virtue. Prometheus was punished for our combustion, and thereby our haute-cuisine.
There isn’t too much more else to expand on regarding Invert Reason. The scene presents another pleasant landscape where bullrushes meld with the liquid to be able to demonstrate another landscape.
The large, old growth trees have been felled. New growth has replaced them. Buildings stand stark and the viewer cannot help but wonder what role these had in the felling.
If buildings were responsible for the demolition of these old giants, was their capacity to flip enough to warrant such destruction?
Symbol drawing has been applied to fade the bases of the islands from being ensconced in water to pushing out from in the liquid.
Ferns and mushrooms are visible in yet another reference to the ecology of the west coast of Canada. Loons aplenty frolic as they wade. I know just how they feel.
Hidden text can be found in this image, though I am loth to admit it. Typically, the viewer is supposed to find this for themselves. One piece of text is the name of the piece. The other is a suggestion regarding the best manner of comprehending this and other works.
This is another piece which took quite a while to complete (four months or so). Each brick has a rectangle marked inside of it. Each rectangle was drawn individually.
The doors are drawn so as to suggest steel. While this structure is beautiful, it also presents a strength which furthers the beauty. Once the builders are long gone, the beauty shall remain inviolate.
There is more building in one orientation than in another, which provides the viewer with a clear impression of which way is up. This is an affordance not provided by all my works, and adds to the comfort of the piece.”
WILL DEWGRAVE
Liminate
One of a kind archival giclee print on paper with additions by the artist
19.75” x 19.75”
$225 + tax / unframed
“It has been suggested that one of the cornerstones of beauty is symmetry. Liminate has a degree of this, but is not symmetrical in the classical sense.
In order to emphasize the symmetry that is present in this work, and that of others, it is necessary to subvert the symmetry and include elements which are not symmetrical, juxtaposing symmetrical elements.
This juxtaposition highlights symmetry where it is present, rendering symmetry a salient theme. Controlled application of this provides a harmony that is nevertheless somewhat off-kilter.
The subject matter in this piece is reminiscent of much of my other work. Buildings are immediately evident on a first scan, as are marine elements.
I have always lived close to the ocean, and consider its presence to be a comfort. I am sure my viewers will agree. Liminal spaces are those where the most interesting developments occur, and Liminate is an instance of this.
Using the parallelism perspective, the two buildings are conjured in a more visually drawn manner, while the other elements are considerably more symbolically drawn.
The buildings are the centerpiece of this work while the surrounding elements are less semantically dense instances of ornamentation. While these surrounding elements may be less impactful than the buildings, nevertheless they provide a welcome setting.
A colossal squid, reminiscent of the kraken, is busily assailing a sailboat as fish swim beneath the waves. The squid’s eyes render it irredeemably insane, while the boat sails on absent a crew. Impossibility is a challenge.
The entirety of this image has been illustrated with a single gauge of pen, rendering this image optimized for tattooing, or any other application where a single implement must be used to apply the design.
Besides the squid or kraken (viewer’s choice) there are also aliens present flying UFOs, nestled among the clouds and mountain peaks. While I am a proponent of the notion that magic is present in our world, so too do I believe in science fiction’s presence here.”
WILL DEWGRAVE
Enochian Summoning Ritual
One of a kind archival giclee print on paper with additions by the artist
31” x 16”
$250 + tax / unframed
“This is an occult ritual rendered in visual format. More specifically, it is a representation of the enochian angelic communication system as posited by John Dee, Queen Elizabeth I’s occult and scientific advisor.
Dee was active at a time when religious assumptions were being questioned aggressively by many. Luther had pulled his famous stunt, and Henry VIII had established the Church of England.
Dee had to juggle knowledge of traditional Catholicism with the emerging trends of Protestantism. This liminal space between sects rendered his research into theology all the more puissant.
Working with the scryer Edward Kelley, Dee’s journals record his attempts at speaking with angels. Where at first his success was limited, it wasn’t long before the angels had instructed him in the techniques of their communication.
A holy table was constructed out of specific materials and sanctified. This was aligned with the cardinal directions and a crystal ball was placed upon it (it is from Dee we get the contemporary image of the medium using a crystal ball).
Besides the table and ball, Dee was also instructed in how to construct various rings which would augment his capacity to communicate with angels. These can be seen on the skeletal hand’s lower bones, while the ring of Lucifer is on a higher bone.
The positioning of the rings suggests that angelic and beneficial impacts of occultism may be hidden, while more malevolent aspects seem to present themselves.
The skeletal hand holds a white chrysanthemum, which in floral symbology stands for truth. The message of this is that we must seek truth from angels.
The angels purportedly imparted to Dee a new alphabet and various words in their tongue, which they referred to as Enochian. They encouraged him to push Elizabeth to expand into the Americas.
In this way, Dee can be seen as a major driving force behind much of the later expansion of the British Empire and the subsequent ascent of the United States on the global stage.
Later occultists, most prominently Aleister Crowley, took a great deal of inspiration from Dee’s work, and he is frequently referenced in occult texts, as is the enochian system.”
Please note that prices do not include any shipping costs.