Paul Cave
A former tattoo artist and lifelong misfit channels a childhood of classic monster movies, cartoons, and hot rod culture into surreal, politically-tinged art that holds up a funhouse mirror to society. Equal parts goofy and unsettling, the work asks who the real monsters are.
Weirdos, Goofballs, Oddballs Unite!
I have never really fit into any mold and have always questioned everything around me. Growing up during the hardships of Reaganomics, bankruptcies, personal injuries and almost losing our home over property taxes, we had to find ways to feel anything but sadness and anxiety. Luckily, we had Sunday morning cartoons, The Munsters, The Addams Family, Godzilla, Dungeons and Dragons, Frankenstein, Dracula and all sorts of unusual things have imprinted on my DNA over the years. I have a huge collection of Universal Studios Monsters and I really enjoy the stories of reflection that they seem to put on humanity. I thinl< that we are really the “monsters” in many ways. When the world is collapsing it is important to hold mirrors up to society in order to improve upon it.
I was a tattooist for 20 years and have been into rat rods, choppers and car clubs most of my life. The culture of subversive art, hooliganism, and the imagery of anti-establishment appeals to me. Finding ways to express myself while putting out images of goofy monster stuff keeps me from going bonkers. I pepper my art with just enough politics and humor to make you think and laugh at the same time. Fitting in with the “misfits” suits me just fine.
Having kids again later in life jumpstarted the process of making art. Ideas came pouring in, reigniting the need to create again while working in the corporate sector. There is so much material out there, so many stories that need to be told. Creating unsettling, surreal imagery, contrasting against societal structures exposes these concepts in weird ways. This has been my journey. Thanks for being oddly uncomfortable with me.