Gone Series
Limited Edition Prints
Whatshisname brings more characters to his emotional Gone series of limited editions, showing our childhood favourites fading into the distance.
‘Gone, Bustin’ references one of the most iconic moves from the mid-80s. “I was too young to watch it at first but in the mid-90s my family used to have movie nights at the weekends, when all four of us would gather around the telly,” says Whatshisname. “This movie was one of the scariest things I have seen on TV, and even though the overall nuances of the plot went over my head, I can still remember my excitement, the scares and the relief as the heroes joined forces to fight ghostly villains.
“The most memorable thing from the movie was the logo which wasn't even featured that much in it, however it remained in my memory. As a very visual child with an interest in arts and crafts, I paid a lot of attention to symbols and logos and this one was one of my favourites.”
“’Gone, Bros’ is a tribute to one of the most iconic video games of the mid-80s,” Whatshisname says. “I was exposed to the game in the mid-90s as my family didn't have the means to own a video game console. After school we used to go to my friend's house to play video games. It was a great time of fun and excitement. I wasn't even good at it but watching my friends succeed meant the world to me. The iconic characters were our companions throughout primary school and evoke great memories. This print is a representation of that nostalgia.”
For ‘Gone, Over the Rainbow’, Whatshisname has recreated the characters from The Wizard of Oz, a movie which has left an indelible mark on the world of film and art. Its vibrant characters, fantastical settings and timeless themes have informed and inspired Whatshisname’s creative development. The film’s use of Technicolor, particularly the shift from black and white to colour upon entering Oz, has influenced him in exploring the interplay of colours and their emotional impact. In this new piece, Whatshisname draws on the contrast between the mundane sepia tones of Kansas and the vivid, dreamlike hues of Oz.
The common link that connects the pieces in the Gone series is the choice of iconic characters that are a rich source of inspiration to Whatshisname. Memorable and much-loved characters like Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and Toto offer Whatshisname the creative opportunity to bring a contemporary perspective to these familiar characters. The story of self-discovery and the search for home resonates deeply with Whatshisname and his many collectors.
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It’s showing our childhood heroes reaching out to us with an extended hand and saying, “Hello, I’m still here, do you remember me?”. Or if those are fading memories, they are saying goodbye.
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