Madness Zines

Artist Dwayne Carter has been producing zines, paintings, animation/videos, banners and digital prints in the Dallas area since 1981.

Themes

Are we basically irrational creatures?

This is not to say that we should not seek scientific truth.  But art has the concern for the meaning of things rather than the scientific evidence of truth.  Perhaps at times meaning and truth can be the same.

Art is not science and cannot be easily reduced to quantifiable data. It is part of the subjective experience of being human. There are many things we cannot know by science. Some things we accept based on what our elders tell us, as well as faith, peer pressure, emotional reaction and intuition.

There are many routes to meaning in art. Sometimes meaning can be found in its form or in the content. Sometimes meaning is found in the context. There is not one correct path to meaning. But when we find ourselves struck by something, it develops meaning. We are shaped by our times, our individual circumstances and the brains we bring with us.

Meaning in art and life cannot be described in words alone.  The rhythmic beat of drums can affect the way we feel and the way we interpret our surroundings.  Our emotions are altered by the vibrations of the music.  We can feel more at home, or we can feel alienated based on our empathic response to music or art.

Probably early humans were drawn or repulsed in very similar ways when they heard a tribal drum beat. Perhaps these instincts are instilled in our fiber. We started as the hunter and gatherer  and some aspects of our behavior are shaped by this early existence.

Even history is subject to major revisions as our perceptions change. Perspectives on history, politics and art change over time because of our allegiances and the cultural biases of our times.

While my central passion in art is drawing, I use Photoshop to weave photos, drawings and paintings to create stories of an alternate Dallas.

Some friends will call my projects comics or graphic novels, but I refer to them as photo novellas, drawing from the tradition of Mexican comics I would find at used bookstores while growing up in Waco.  Artists are using the photo novella format because of its directness in communicating stories and ideas.

 

 

Madness #7
Extreme Discontent

2019 ~ What’s the problem?

The elite don’t need to look down from their lofty perch. The problem is right in front of them. Extreme Discontent!

 

Madness #5
Disputed Ideals

2016 ~ Disputed Ideals. You can search, but you likely won’t find your paradise or a utopia. These places only exist as ideas.

Madness #3
Collective Madness

2013 ~ You can’t escape. We are all part of the Collective Madness.

Madness #6
Living in a False Universe

2018 ~ Forget the Truth as you know it.

Madness #4
irrational.City

 

2015 ~ Everyone needs a second chance. Is this a divine comedy?

 

Madness #2
Mirror of Madness

2012 ~ A dark tale of lust for money and power.