Jeff Blackburn is a multidisciplinary artist with over a decade of experience producing and exhibiting projects.
My concept focuses on Conan Doyle’s The Lost World and takes into consideration many elements from that story. The design is meant to convey a childlike sense of wonder and imagination present in the fantastical adventure. While reading the story in preparation for this piece, I was struck by the sense of play and almost giddyexcitement that comes through Ed Malone’ s journalistic narration of the events.
With this mural, I am exercising that tone through a Conan Doyle inspired child (complete with big fake mustache) lost in a world of their own, and playing with various toys that are subtle direct links to some of the characters/ dinosaurs/fauna/landscape that are found on The Lost World’s plateau. These include Professor Challenger, the “missing link” ape men, allosaurus, pterodactyl, stegosaurus, plesiosaurus, palm trees, bamboo, gingko trees, mares’ tail, and volcanic rock (with caves in the rock).
The child is a Frankenstein’s monster of 6 different kids collaged together (separate face/ hands/ arms/ hat/ toys/mustache). And, the elements come from over 20 separate images sourced, tweaked and layered into the reference image from research into the particular plants and dinosaurs, etc. making for an original piece of art inspired by Conan Doyle.
