Errol Mickelson – Artist Statement Rough Draft

As a writer and an artist, I find that the absurdities of life—the shady student-run call center hidden in the depths of St. Thomas, or the mysterious dark-red stains on the ceiling of my bus in elementary school, or the clickbait ads on an Apple News article that implore you to hang a bag of water filled with pennies outside your door—are far stranger, funnier, even more poignant than anything in fiction. I feel this facet of life should be more recognized, and my body of work attempts to honor this: I aim to create a fantastical world, but one not too far from reality, because the fantastic parts of reality are often the best sources of humor and depth.

My primary mediums are written works and digital 3D models, as well as cardboard sculpting. My writing is equal parts fast-paced and thought-provoking, enjoying a blend of slapstick action, dry humor, and ponderous intermissions. My designs seek to avoid over-polishing, preferring a more organic aesthetic or one that appears ramshackle on the surface but is full of details and secrets when one looks closely. I believe that everything in life is interconnected, and there are more to most things than meet the eye. It is up to each of us to pull the fantastic from the mundane, and the pieces in my portfolio are simply my way of accomplishing that.