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MBP Presents: Revelations and Dog
July 18, 2011
Contact: Kate Abbey-Lambertz
Telephone: 718.314.8000
New York, NY – March 29,2011 - In his first book, an illustrated reimagining of The Book of Revelation, artist Michael Caines isn’t trying to offend you—but he still might, especially if you wanted to vote for Sarah Palin. Pairing the Biblical text with richly textured works painstakingly rendered in ink and gouache, Caines creates a vivid, fantastical world that mixes political commentary and absurdity.
Illustrated with verve by Caines, John the Divine’s wormwood-fueled vision comes to life with a skeletal Dick Cheney as one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, a giant poodle playing God, swarming locusts with Rush Limbaugh heads, a winged gorilla, and Palin herself as Babylon, the mother of all harlots. Deftly bringing the forceful Biblical story into the twenty-first century, Caines’s modern illuminations allude to and offer twists on a startling range of influences, including sixteenth-century woodcuts, Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo in Slumberland, Joel-Peter Witkin’s photographs, Hokusai’s The Great Wave, and YouTube cute puppy videos.
While Caines’s interpretation of the controversial text might seem profane, it’s only the most recent version in a long tradition of coloring the End Times with contemporary blood and brimstone. In her foreword, Janette Platana reminds readers that, “Turning the Old Testament into a set-up for the punch-line of the New Testament required non-divine intervention: editing, chapter division, translating with pronounced bias, and a re-ordering of the texts… and script becomes scripture, myth becomes history.”
Revelations and Dog is the second in MBP’s Revelations series, following Revelations and the Stupid Creatures by John Murphy and Liana Finck. Each installment invites a contemporary artist to visually interpret The Book of Revelation.
Michael Caines, a Canadian-born, New York–based visual and video artist, has always found American politics compelling. He has received fellowships from Avery and Chalmers Foundation, participated in numerous residencies, and exhibited his work internationally, most recently in his 2010 show Perfect Happiness at MULHERIN POLLARD Projects in New York City.
Mark Batty Publisher is an independent publisher dedicated to making distinctive books on the visual art of communicating, showcasing the visual power and innovation of contemporary culture in all of its varied poses. Today, the visual comes at us from more places than ever, and its dissemination is faster and more advanced every year. Books from Mark Batty Publisher capture this acceleration on the pages of every book. Affordable, well designed, thoughtfully created, and produced to last, MBP books are artful products that readers want to hold onto forever.
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Revelations and Dog
Michael Caines
Pub Date: April 2011
Page Count: 96
Size: 7 ½ x 9 ¾ inches
Format: Flexibound
Price: $28.95
ISBN: 978-1-9356130-8-4
For a review copy, more information, or to schedule an interview with the author, contact Kate Abbey-Lambertz at 718.314.8000 or kate@markbattypublisher.com.
