A former illustration student of Central Saint Martins, Faris
Badwan now fronts indie rock band The Horrors, who have performed with the
likes of Florence Welch and won an NME award for Best Album.
Although mostly recognised for his music career, Faris
expresses himself also through the use of art. His work displays his perception
of the world; his particular style uses repetition and transformation to create
hectic, hypnotic illustrations. His intuitive monochromatic mark making works have
been displayed in 2 exhibitions, at the Bondhi Gallery and The Book Club in
London. Inspired by artist Paul Klee and his tendency to become frantically
obsessed with things, his work presents as meticulous yet chaotic.
Creatures in Colour
was Faris’ most current exhibition and took place at The Strand Gallery, London
September 2012. As the title suggests, this was Badwan’s first time of
presenting colour in his work. In an interview with Dazed Digital, Faris says, “Watercolours
can be extremely vivid and transporting. I like the enthusiasm that comes with
enjoying new things.” Most of the drawings are done in a “hypnotic states of
consciousness” which interests the audience because “they want to observe the
world of the drawings and discover the secrets.”- http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/gallery/14594/1/faris-badwan-creatures-in-colour
Personally, I find Faris’ monochrome work more interesting
because the style is more expressive and seems more natural to the artist. The
use of colour in his most recent work makes it blend into the art scene,
sitting in with the likes of Paul Klee and Gustav Klimt. Being in an indie guy
himself, it suits more for him to stand out with his work and so some of my favourites
of his illustrations are from the Dark Arts at Shoreditch's The Book Club.
Amalgamating art and music, Faris designed
the illustrations for the lyric sleeve of the band’s debut album Strange House. The album artwork for
their most popular album Skying was
produced by Neil Krug, who founded Pulp Art Book and has also worked for Tame
Impala and My Chemical Romance. With The Horror’s music being classified as
garage rock, gothic rock, shoegazing and post-punk revival it lends itself
suitably to the indie culture due to the originality of its sound. The overall
appearance of the band is set aside from mainstream music culture, seen in the
way they dress, the gigs they put on and the artwork used for their albums.
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