Drillo

"Drillo is a conceptual company— a conglomerate whos identiy comes to life through my Paintigns, Drawings and Sculptural elements. Through artworks which acts as promotional material, I have created a parallel reality where the Drillo Corporation reigns supreme, infiltrating many aspects of society including but not limited to, Advertising, Consumerism, Policing, and Politics. The Drillo Company allows me to both critique and celebrate the pervasive influence of corporations in our world today.

Our society is shaped, if not ruled, by the products we consume and the icons we idolize. My recent work as “Drillo” exposes and amplifies the absurdity of this devotion, inviting reflection on the ways we willingly and unwillingly subscribe to these forces. In many instances we as consumers are romanced by the lifestyles and values associated with the products we consume, in turn bringing to life a version of these values that once existed only as myth. An example of this, which I am deeply inspired by, is the Marlboro Man ad campaign. A carefully selected icon in the shape of a cowboy, emitting a stoic, hardened and manly persona, who is no stanger to danger, becomes the perfect mascot to sell a product that ultimately kills the consumer. In a broader more political angle, we can also note how the low salaried and gruelling job of the Ranch Hand becomes a pillar of the romantic American identity. By using these powerful icons and a familiar visual language, I aim to critique the all-too-common exploitation of society whos identity is romanticized. 

Stylistically I draw my greatest inspiration from the commercial artists of the past such as Norman Rockwell and Dean Cornwell. Both artist were immensely intertwined with guiding the culture of the day, using romantic vignettes of american life to inspire the public in times of depression and war. I belive the medium of oil paint extrapolated the romance translated toward the viewer, much more than any photo could achieve. I model my technique after these artist, in hopes of tapping into a similar romance brought to the canvas."