Man-Child - The Seven Deadly Boards, is a series of paintings transferred as prints on skateboards The theme contains three key elements: a) Man-Child: a term describing the never-growing individual who preserves both childlike and adult qualities and handicaps. b) The Seven Deadly Sins: 1) Pride: overly high opinion of one's self. 2) Envy: discontent and ill over somebody else's advantages and possessions. 3) Wrath: actions of vengeance led by intense anger and fury. 4) Sloth: disinclination to work or exert one's self; laziness. 5) Greed: excessive desire, especially for material wealth. 6) Gluttony: the habit or act of uncontrollable consumption of food. 7) Lust: bodily appetite; excessive sexual desire. The seven deadly sins were considered the human transgressions fatal to spiritual progress which are still ever-present in our society. They have appeared in numerous literary works and depicted by artists, such as, Hieronymous Bosch and Paul Cadmus. c) Skateboards: objects that can be categorized between sport equipment and toys, used by a large span of age groups. The psychology of a “serial” sinner is full of wicked child characteristics and innate maturity due to his sinful nature. Each image depicts a sinner in two different stages of his life: the pure child and the grown caricature of his obsession. Inevitably, the viewer is looking for evil signs in the innocent faces, and sure enough, finds them, even if they are not there. The two renderings melt to one and follow the manchild paradigm. When looking for a non traditional format to showcase the images, skateboards where a perfect candidate on technical and conceptual accounts. A large flat surface on an object appealing to young and old alike. The print applied on each board combines a painting, a logo and a type treatment of each sin. The original paintings are done on acetate sheets and they are worked on both sides with brushes and etching tools, in order to create dense textures of line and color. Manipulated photographic elements combined with pencil and ink drawings compose the base for the acrylic paint. The seven deadly boards are the translation of an old favorite topic going back to a rich tradition of eternal damnation to a contemporary exercise in product branding. The essence of the works lies more within their interaction with the viewer rather than the art of their crafting. The pieces function as a conduit for exploring the psychological aspects of the sins.

Viktor Koen,
January 1999