Chicago based illustrator and artist Kiersten Essenpreis pays tribute to stand-up comedian Mitch Hedberg for Gallery1988?s “Is This Thing On?”.

When Gallery 1988 asked me if I’d like to participate in their second installment of Is This Thing On?, I jumped at the chance. Last year I depicted the great Steve Martin, but this year I decided to take on my other favorite comic, the late Mitch Hedberg.

I was first introduced to Mitch’s stand-up years back, by my roommate who used to play his recordings while we worked in the studio. I was instantly in love. His wit, play with language, and absurd observations paired with an odd, but enduring delivery made for a great comic who continues to be missed.

I once read that Mitch suffered from almost paralyzing stage fright and often wore sunglasses while on stage, so he could close his eyes while speaking. I thought about this a lot while sketching up ideas for my piece, and decided that a straight-forward portrait of Mitch would not suit him. To me, his words are really what he’d most likely prefer to be remembered for, so I tested out a new technique and created 8 small, wood etchings of my favorite quotes. All wood panels are sealed in resin.

    string(6) "Davide"
Avatar photo

Davide

Davide was born and raised in the tiny Piemonte town of Biella, world-famous for its textiles and the hometown of Michaelangelo Pistoletto. A life-long passion for design and innovation led Davide to New York City, where he lives with his family. He created Gessato in 2006, and he's been pioneering new communication tools and techniques ever since.

Tags:
loader