Home of: Zac Cantlon
RONAN — Pablo Picasso once questioned that if the world today didn’t make sense, then why should he paint pictures that do? Picasso’s work clearly knew no boundaries. The same can be said for that of local artist Zac Cantlon.
The 27-year-old Ronan man’s otherworldly art takes the viewer on a reeling ride into a realm of fantasy, leaving the world as we know it far behind in the twilight.
“Fantasy has no boundary,” Cantlon said. “Whatever you want to put on that page — you can.”
Cantlon’s first art showing is currently on display at The Red Poppy Gallery in Ronan. The young artist says he has received a lot of his inspiration for the fantasy brand of art he creates from Brian Froud, the legendary creator of “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth.”
“Some of my pieces have stories behind them and some are simply my interpretations of classic folklore,” Cantlon added.
His work in the exhibit varies from profiles of characters he’s created, to stunning landscapes with something menacing — or magical — lurking atop the horizon, to puzzling creature-based collages that play tricks on the eye. But his work can not be limited to that of the prints currently on display.
A majority of the work Cantlon does these days is done digitally and available online. The aspiring illustrator has a website, www.theartofzac.com, that welcomes you into the world in which Cantlon’s art is based. Greeted by his primary protagonist, the Vampire Hawthorn, we are introduced to this mystical land with Zac as our guide to chronicle the events of the fantastical creature world.
This, of course, is all part of his first graphic novel he is working on titled “Hawthorn’s Tomb.” Re-interpretations and visual adaptations of folk creatures that go “bump” in the night range from Vampires, Goblins and Dragons to Faeries, Elves, and countless others — all with a story behind them on the site.
Visitors are also able to access part of the upcoming graphic novel’s prologue on the site by clicking the “Online Book” tab. The digital animation, vibrant color and unique story-telling leap off the page at the reader, and one can’t help but want more in anticipation of what’s to come in this epic tale.
On a bit lighter side of things, Zac is also working on a, as of yet untitled, children’s fantasy book with a little less edge for younger audiences.
“It still may be a little creepy, but it’s mostly fun,” Cantlon said.
Cantlon has had the artist’s intrigue since he was three years old and started playing with clay. That love for sculpture developed for many years, eventually evolving into a love for drawing and the abstract. The focus on fantasy art came last and has shaped his most definitive work.
Trading in traditional labor of manual art tools, Cantlon’s weapons of choice now include a computer screen and digital drawing tools offered through Adobe Photoshop and Painter programs. This method is admittedly cleaner, and Cantlon prefers to work frequently through a piece until he’s finished.
“I have trouble sitting on a piece for over a day,” Cantlon said.
Understandable, especially when you find out that the artist is also a singer/songwriter for a band he’s been jamming with for over 12 years now. Their name is “Left Over Culmination” or “LOC” for short, and the singer best describes their sound as “experi-metal” — that is if they can begin to be categorized.
“It’s pretty heavy edged, but we experiment with a lot of different sounds,” Cantlon said. “We don’t want to get stuck in just one classification.”
To date the band has put out nine albums worth of music, any of which that have album cover illustrations were created and designed by the local art mogul himself. Zac also has done album artwork for a friend’s band, “Illusion’s Fate,” out of Chicago.
As a musician Zac says he has been influenced by such alternative bands ranging from the Deftones and Korn, to Mindless Self Indulgence and Incubus. Samples and singles for purchase of the band’s tunes can be found at their MySpace page: www.myspace.com/leftoverculmination. The site also has links to the band’s store site, which Cantlon says is under renovation and will be up and running again in a month or so.
There fans can find band merchandise with artwork, also created by Cantlon. Needless to say, Cantlon has found a way to blend a number of his many talents in a way that strengthens their creative impact while promoting their individuality.
The public is invited to come down to The Red Poppy this month through July 24 to witness and celebrate a slice of this local artist’s unique early body of work. For more information on Red Poppy art exhibits call 676-3010 or log onto www.theredpoppy.org.