Mosh Pits

April 6, 2012 5:33 AM

Mosh Pits (Human and Otherwise). Paintings by Dan Witz.
posted by OmieWise (13 comments total)

21st-Century Mannerism?
posted by swift at 6:07 AM on April 6, 2012 [3 favorites]

I absolutely love Witz's work. It's frenetic. I'm always attracted to work with a clear interest in movement and anatomy- his stuff is all about that. I love to be in the room while he's working.
posted by Blisterlips at 6:30 AM on April 6, 2012

For some interesting reason, this work reminds me of Norman Rockwell. The hyper-realism, the carefully orchestrated albeit frenetic bodies, the lighting.

I enjoyed studying these; they speak to a certain chaotic social urge that not all humans share. I've had friends who did the mosh scene insisting there was a physical rush from so much contact that left them bruised yet buzzing and happy. I couldn't do it--I'm too claustrophobic. These paintings catch that crazy energy edge before things actually become violent.
posted by kinnakeet at 6:48 AM on April 6, 2012

I'm assuming these are based on photos? Either that or he did a pretty neat trick of simulating shadows from flashbulbs.
posted by ShutterBun at 6:50 AM on April 6, 2012

"Oil digital media on canvas." Very curious.
posted by ShutterBun at 6:53 AM on April 6, 2012

I found Waldo: print #12, middle-left.
posted by mule98J at 8:15 AM on April 6, 2012 [1 favorite]

is that Matt LaBlanc in a sombrero?
posted by ShawnString at 8:20 AM on April 6, 2012 [1 favorite]

daaamn. these are amazing.
posted by OsoMeaty at 9:34 AM on April 6, 2012

Wow, neat.
Cool.
Huh.
Wow.
Wow.
RATS!!!!!!!!!!
posted by Curious Artificer at 9:39 AM on April 6, 2012

Remember the 90s, when every band had an obligatory mosh pit? Even bands where it didn't make any sense, like They Might Be Giants? I swear I was at an Indigo Girls show that had a mosh pit.
posted by Afroblanco at 10:21 AM on April 6, 2012

ShutterBun, it looks like he must be working from multiple photo sources - the link under "Human" to "Big Mosh Pit" shows some wild perspective shits, like the left arm of the stocky guy in the black jacket leaning back with his mouth open in the center of the painting. look at his hand, and then at the other hand right nearby. The second hand is on the arm of the guy under Open Mouth Guy's arm, so they are roughly the same distance from the view point the painter is developing for us. as you can see, that second hand is the size of third guy's head.

As you look through the faces and bodies there are examples of this kind of specific retention of photographic perspective all over the painting. It's awesome and adds to the energy and strangeness of the work.

I also like how the piece is kind of timeless - the only band logo actually legible is for 1980s band Vice Squad, but the kids in the picture are wearing stuff from any and all times from 1979 to the present.
posted by mwhybark at 10:24 AM on April 6, 2012

Garter snake mosh pits.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 11:20 AM on April 6, 2012

Remember the 90s, when every band had an obligatory mosh pit?

I remember the 80's, when they were called slam pits.

(and yeah, it seems like *every* show had them, regardless of appropriateness. People would stage-dive during ballads, fer chrissakes!)
posted by ShutterBun at 7:24 PM on April 6, 2012