The 1935 Phantom (Copy)

7" x 7" Title: The 1935 Phantom This piece is a richly layered, mixed-media collage on upcycled wood, serving as a powerful commentary on memory and identity. It centers on an authentic 1935 black-and-white portrait of a young boy, juxtaposed against a chaotic background of vintage comic book panels (including elements of The Phantom). The surface is built up using expressive paint marks, ink, and ephemera. The inclusion of the embedded toy car acts as a symbolic anchor, merging the child's reality with the escapism of pop-culture fantasy. This work is highly textural, inviting viewers to explore the friction between a seemingly innocent past and the persistent influence of heroic mythology.