ULTRA MEGA: Printmaking Exhibit by Haig Demarjian

Haig Demarjian, professor of art + design at Salem State, works in media ranging from fine art to commercial illustration to motion picture film. Unable to settle his ideas into a single medium, he has also written and drawn the adventures of his comic book creation Super Inga. This exhibition is the first time anyone will see what happens when all aspects of his work collide. More than three years ago he set out to create a body of work he called "ULTRA MEGA." One aim of this work was to create a multi-faceted, ongoing narrative utilizing a variety of disparate print media. Another goal was to make prints that would be ?too big for your phone.? This artwork would not read effectively in reproduction, could not be seen all at once and could not comfortably be swiped-and-scrolled-through in the routine way that we now digest images. In order to unfold the meanings of the work, you must be in the room with it and you must spend time experiencing it. ?Are We Not Drawn Onward/The Grand Emanation of the Golden Braid? is a 15-foot-long scroll that utilizes more than 30 relief blocks designed as interconnected elements of a quasi-narrative design. It gathers imagery referencing the artist?s lifelong obsessions and is centered on Super Inga, a character that first appeared in the motion picture film and comic books. But Super Inga is a small piece of the larger puzzle; the scroll is loaded with metaphors and symbols that unlock a uniquely complex world that wavers between grave seriousness and utter absurdity. Surprises reveal themselves not only in the 15-foot-long scroll but also in black light-reactive screen prints and giant woodcut comic book pages. For access and accommodation information, visit our page on access or email access@salemstate.edu.