Mathew Borrett
Mathew Borrett is a Canadian illustrator and visual effects
artist who works with architectural illustration and also creates wild and
sometimes elaborate imagined structures, some underground, some in cityscapes.
He creates networks of compartmentalised dwellings that appear to be carved
into the face of a cliff or dug into the ground with isometric perfection.
Borrett also explores imaginary landscapes that have a
science fiction or fantasy feeling about them. His underground structures are
maze-like and are remindful of Escher's work in the way they extend underground
in fascinatingly detailed cutaway views of interlocking rooms, tunnels,
stairways, and halls. The beautifully complex maze of tiny rooms sometimes appear
to be carved from a solid white page. Many drawings seem to defy logic, which
makes them more fascinating. Borrett divides space in an interesting way. Some
drawings look as though they have developed from more traditional architectural
subjects, especially the ones which feature cut-away sections.
Borrett says about his childhood, "During those weeks
of the summer when too much pollen was about, I’d retreat to my room where I
would draw, build elaborate things out of Lego, and make primitive computer
graphics on my Commodore 64. If I really liked something I’d built out of Lego,
I would draw instructions on graph paper for how to build it again."
Borrett also said that he had, "a fascination with maps
and architecture, a penchant for detail, and recurring dreams of finding strange
hidden rooms in his house." It is obvious that these childhood experiences
were important in his development as an artist and the influences can be seen in
his wonderful detailed maze-like drawings.
The labyrinth-like structures in his drawings are surreal
and puzzling. Scale, physics and logic are of no importance. Bedrooms exist
with no entrances and doorways lead you nowhere as you wander through the maze.
Borrett's drawings draw you in and invite you to get lost in a hidden world.
No comments:
Post a Comment