"Weapons (Axolotl, Bird of Paradise, Rattlesnake)"

Acrylic on reclaimed wood, 27 x 20 inches, 2023

This image takes its inspiration from a game called exquisite corpse, in which "each participant takes turns writing or drawing on a sheet of paper, folding it to conceal his or her contribution, and then passing it to the next player for a further contribution. The game gained popularity in artistic circles during the 1920s when it was adopted as a technique by artists of the Surrealist movement to generate collaborative compositions."*
While not literally resulting from a sheet of paper passed around, these paintings fuse disparate portions of animals to create bizarre and fantastical carousel creatures. Each creature is then featured with text on a fictional sign that might be seen in and around this mythical ride.

*moma.org

All images copyright Doug Bennett