Electrical Blues
Colored Ink on Paper
Drawing Dimensions: 45.6 x 60.9 cm
Paper Dimensions: 57.0×56.2 cm
Electrical Blues is a vivid representation of how Elvis Grahovac perceives the world today—a chaotic, complex tapestry with himself at the center. The composition features layers of symbolism, each element contributing to a broader narrative.
Bottom section
At the bottom, a wall serves as a foundation, representing barriers and challenges. However, there are also breakthroughs—glimpses of hope and change. Mushrooms emerge, their organic forms offering a stark contrast to the synthetic cityscape above, which blinds and overwhelms like every modern metropolis. From the mushrooms, hands reach out, providing support and comfort to a terrified face, which represents the artist himself. Elvis deliberately chose natural colors for the hands, underscoring their grounding presence amid the chaos.
Left side
To the left, yellow and blue hands symbolize the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, a deeply personal and political statement. For Elvis, this reflects a connection to his potential roots and the turmoil of a country in profound distress. Chains bind and weigh down, a metaphor for societal struggles and personal burdens. A ladder, seemingly offering escape, is rendered futile by these chains, the ball weight pulling us into patterns of despair. Even so, there’s a glimmer of awakening in the hands stretching out, a fragile hope for change.
Right side
On the right side, a face emerging from the city buildings tells a poignant story. Constructed from fragments of the wall below, it is a synthetic mask created by societal pressures. Despite the attempt to conform, the uncertain expression in its eyes betrays the discomfort of existing in an unnatural state.
Reality, as depicted, drags us down with distractions and vices. Food, sexuality, perversions, and the serpentine symbols of deceit invade the “blue mind,” representing societal burnout and disillusionment. The composition also touches on environmental and political crises, with lava, medications, decrees, and nuclear threats adding layers to the turmoil.
A cake in the middle represents the artificiality of modern consumption, a further reflection of the dissonance between nature and industry. The overarching theme ties to the “blues” of the mind, where electrical signals mirror the fractured state of the world. Through Electrical Blues, Elvis Grahovac captures the struggles, disconnection, and fleeting hope of contemporary society, offering a hauntingly beautiful lens into our collective psyche.
For more information, availability and pricing, please contact
elvisart@yahoo.com