Richard Deon
Artist Statement
Resume
Defacement
My middle school American history instructor issued me a peculiar textbook. When I opened it I discovered a student from a prior year had defaced the illustrations. Mustaches were drawn on American Presidents; speedboats were added to the Boston Tea Party. Recognizing the book was throughly defaced, I passed time by extending the art—adding new characters, buildings, and backgrounds—creating a visual world with anonymous intentions. Within a week, I was disciplined and issued a clean textbook, a bill, and a stern warning.
A Lesson Learned
My mature artwork is much like the revised textbook of my formative years. My creative output creates and explores myths like “Abraham Lincoln’s Campaign” and “The Story of the Quick Response Squadron.” Obfuscation and a shifting points of vie