Turning the media’s most disturbing images into art
- Text by HUCK HQ
- Illustrations by Craig Boagey
There’s something deeply sinister about Craig Boagey’s drawings. The British artist, who specialises in hyperrealistic, pencil-drawn art, aims to recreate the most confrontational images he comes across in everyday media. This includes – amongst other things – blurred pornography, school shootings, and war-torn cityscapes.
Central Saint Martins graduate Boagey switches between red pencil (for images of a more sexual nature) and blue (for those that are more tragic and violent). Each drawing takes between three days to three weeks to complete. “The blue ones are always more difficult because the subject matter is a lot more significant,” he tells Huck. “I like to juxtapose things, so when you have these very delicate and difficult subjects the blue sort of makes them calming in a way – it takes away the intensity.”
These haunting images have now been pulled together for Recital – a new book published by independent, Dalston-based publisher Ditto.
“I’m not necessarily interested in current affairs, I don’t want to make drawings relating to today directly because it would kind of feel like protest art, and I don’t want that,” the artist explains. “The scenes I like to choose are moments in time which are just fascinating, and a lot of the time these incidents create a trend of other similar incidents. In that way, they become relevant to today without necessarily being stories of the moment.”
“I don’t want to shock directly that would be too forced. I want it to be subtle, that works best for me,” he adds. “There are exceptions but, in general, that’s my approach.”
Blue Lucifer, 2015
Red Drawing #5, 2016
Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni Hanging, 2016
Red Drawing #7, 2016
Viet Cong Prisoner, 2015
Red Drawing #1, 2015
Gaza, 2015
Recital is published on October 26th, by Ditto.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
Kristina Rozhkova’s scatty, confronting portrait of captivity
Gut Feeling — The Russian artist’s 2024 arrest and subsequent detention opened her eye towards the omnipresent dynamics of power and control. Her new photobook is a stark exploration of being trapped.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Washing strangers’ feet at Houghton Festival
Pedilavium — As part of artist Henry Krokatsis’s performance piece at the weekender, we sat down with over 30 others to clean the dusty digits of passersby, while reflecting on the power of collective ritual and human connection.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The anti-tourism guides revealing Lisbon’s true, radical heart
We Hate Tourism Tours — The Portuguese capital sees millions of people visit a year, against a backdrop of political turbulence and a housing crisis fuelled by short term holiday lets. Jack Burke meets the crew subverting their city’s perception, while bringing lesser seen stories and monuments to light.
Written by: Jack Burke
The art of paying attention: How Austria’s Alps reward slowing down
Lebensgefühl — With a growing movement of art and music rooted in the area’s mountains, trees and waterfalls, the region is showcasing the importance of the human relationship to nature.
Written by: Sophie Lou Wilson
Inside Parkuir: the art project queering sport, space and our bodies
Lie and play — Founded by Maria Laudes and Guiu Gimeno, it provides a framework for engaging, subverting, and celebrating the small details that make people unique – and queer.
Written by: Molly Lipson
A major Nan Goldin exhibition is coming to London
You Never Did Anything Wrong — Opening at the Hayward Gallery in November, the show will debut a new film from the artist and activist, alongside a slate of recent work.
Written by: Jack Dennison-Thompson
