Printed in The Deformed Paper Sept '07
I first met Eli Lamont when he moved into our flat in Point Chevalier in 2005. Eli was always drawing rocks, shells, pine cones and his feet. Anything he could sit and stare at from the couch and draw in minute detail, and often only the minute detail. His work has come a long way from these exploratory drawings, but this grounding in natural form and shape has continued to inform his work.
Influenced by the likes of pop surrealism, Moebius and the psychedelic, Eli’s illustrations and drawings are vivid and colourful. Solid line-work and bright colours give his drawings a comic feel implying hidden overarching stories and themes, as if the dialogue boxes have been left blank and the frames cut out. Like one off character studies, you often want to know more about the characters depicted. This is particularly evident in Eli’s poster designs (see the website below).
The repetition of faces also act as visual metaphors (for those looking for them) – for example the mechanical functions of the brain, or the dual nature of personalities.
Eli’s recent works feature protrusions or projections of the mind. Like profound moments, epiphanies and internal quandaries set down in image – his drawings depict the workings and perceptual distortions of the psyche without the come down of the psychedelic genre’s typical clichés.
Projections of the Mind
Now based in Whanganui where he grew up, Eli has been creating posters for the local music scene. If you’re from those parts, you’ve probably seen a lot of his work already!
Always one for intense bouts of research, Eli has recently started a blog recording his recent finds online. If you’re keen to see what influences Eli’s outrageous work, have a gander here:
http://spaciousmind1.tumblr.com/
And have a look here for Eli’s gig posters:
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Elis-rad-gig-posters/3578371
Eli Lamont will continue to be a feature within Potroast’s pages, so you will definitely get the chance to see more of his work!
(Eli’s work can be found in issues 6 & 8, click here to purchase)
