As Occupy Wall Street continues, the emotions for everyone involved are running higher with each passing day. With the addition of veterans, solidarity statements from around the world, and other cities experiencing their own versions of the protest, we know this is a standoff that won’t end easily. Regardless of where you stand and how you feel about any of the participants and their actions, this incredible display is going to change the world we know. It’s one thing to see the thousands of amazing photographs of this important slice of history, but London artist Guy Denning has begun chronicling these world altering events in simple swirls of charcoal and conte. There’s a tremendous sense of emotion and movement in these incredible pieces, even though they appear hastily sketched on whatever was close at hand. Check a gallery of these dramatic works after the jump.
Guy Denning – Occupy Wall Street Through the Eyes of an Artist
Guy Denning caught my eye with his expansive Paradiso project based on Dante’s Inferno, which is a work very near and dear to my heart. What I didn’t realize was that he had a sketch-a-day blog, where he posts a completed piece each day. As of late, his pieces are more and more beginning to reflect the turmoil being experienced in America. Even though these pieces consist of very little – one or two colors of charcoal, and a small portion of a scene, I can’t help but marvel at the expressiveness in each one. The scribbled lines encompass so much movement and a sense of urgency – though Guy Denning isn’t even on the same continent, these sketches feel as though he was in the middle of the crowd. It’s like an interesting subject transpired in front of him, and he quickly recorded the moment as it unfolded. Charcoal is one of those mediums that anyone can get into and smudge it about, but is so difficult to master.
If you want to see more of Denning’s work, you can check out his website here, on his drawing a day blog for his latest pieces. With the way things are going, we’ll likely see a lot more Occupy Wall Street images in the days to come.
