Escape Artist
Aside from being incredibly intelligent animals, Octopus have the ability to fit into or squeeze through impossibly tiny spaces. This, along with being masters of camouflage – matching not only the colour but also textures of their surroundings, enables them to escape predators. If camouflage, a hasty retreat or releasing black ink fails to land them in safety, they can even lose an arm to an attacker and grow it back later. This array of tricks is what makes the octopus the ultimate escape artist, and by far my favourite animal alive.
It has been a plan in my head to design and launch a series of escaping octopus artworks since I first painted one 8 years ago at my debut art exhibition. It shouldn’t have taken me this long to reproduce the concept but eight years now seems quite apt. For me there is something completely wonderful about artwork which does the unexpected. Here my octopus are practicing the art of escapism and climbing into your spaces through the picture frame – a window to the ocean.
‘Escapism has value, even if I don’t know what the value is, exactly. Maybe its just part of some healthy way that we deal with the world.’
Lev Grossman
Available as a blue or orange Octopus (shown below), each order will be a unique mixed media original artwork where the escaping tentacles will be painted in positions unique to each piece. The option of personalisation is there as I can paint the tentacle extensions in any colour to tie in with customer interiors.
Click on the images below to view options:
Blue Octopus
Orange Octopus