Michael de Meng | Dusty Diablos, Folklore, Iconography, Assemblage, Ole’
Published: September 30, 2010
Missoula artist Michael de Meng serves as tour guide for a creative and cultural thrill ride to Mexico, where he has found his artistic “Fountain of Youth.”
At the urging of a college professor at The University of Montana, de Meng traveled to Oaxaca after graduation and thus began a love affair with the art, iconography, food, music, sights and sounds of Mexico. The artist’s second work (his first was Secrets of Rusty Things: Transforming Found Objects into Art, published in 2007) is part narrative and part travelogue, seasoned with generous helpings of creative instruction, and a large dose of witty commentary.
Dusty Diablos is a blast of colorful images with excellent how-to and step-by-step photos to achieve the special “look” that make de Meng’s art so unique.
The author has devised his own vocabulary to describe the effects his techniques produce, including the “tricky burnt paper routine” and the “mysterious frozen caveman trick.” Chapters contain entertaining descriptions of his inspiration for projects, and lists of “stuff you need.”
Even if you never go out looking for rusty bottle caps, plastic skeletons, antique gas masks or myriad other strange and unusual objects to blend together to make an artistic statement, Dusty Diablos is a pleasure to read.
The author calls his work “assemblage” (pronounced, he writes: “awesome-blahzhuh”) and the fabulous photos of his creations are a visual treat.
De Meng, who teaches workshops in the U.S and abroad, is a frequent contributor to art trade magazines and journals, and shows his work in galleries across the country. His new book was published by North Light Books in Cincinnati, Ohio, and sells for $24.99 softcover.
Visit michaeldemeng.blogspot.com for more on the artist and his endeavors.
– Judy Shafter
