AUTOMATON started as a self portrait in the spring of 2015. Created from over 100 layers, the seamless tile represents the inner workings of the mind of the artist, Sarah Mason Walden. These are the personal demons that give chase. The wheels that turn under the power of love and death and dreams and nightmares.
Every individual piece is a representative of my autobiography. I culled through the millions of public domain images available through the British Museum and other institutions to find these interconnected images. Some harken back to vellum covered tomes in quill scratched ink. Some are the pride of the Industrial Revolution. The whimsical balances the macabre. Hieroglyphs, runes, and phrenology. Floating gods offer claddagh rings and the puritan turns the screws. When I find a diamond in the rough, I spend a lot of time restoring the image and removing the individual element from its surroundings. The original piece took over 100 hours to complete.
This limited edition is printed on a heavy, grommeted banner and is 4'x4'. Other scales and materials available upon request. What makes this edition extra unique is that everyone who buys it will receive a decal of their own personal demon to make their piece unlike anyone else's. Additional demons available. Upon purchase, you can email me a link to any social media profile (Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) I will find an image that represents you to me and you will receive your decal in the mail, to cut out to apply to the banner or keep as a framable accompanying piece.
For a full portrait of you in this format, we would work together to create a representation of your inner workings. Art therapy via a steam punk selfie! Excavate yourself.
The smaller images are printed on metal to enhance the industrial feel. If you connect to any aspect of Automaton, I can isolate it and print on any format, in any scale. Digital art has no limits. This is currently available as wallpaper and fabric from Spoonflower. An animated version is a work in progress.