ARTIST STATEMENT

“In real life, I often feel powerless. In the world of cartoons and fantasy, I have all the power. I am who I truly want to be.” - Ian Borton

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My love of art is rooted in my love of cartoons and animation. One of the appeals of being an artist to me is the freedom to create whatever you want. Nowhere else is this freedom allowed and encouraged more than in the world of animation. Here, virtually anything is possible and the only limits are your creativity and the life of your pencil. In these worlds, the laws of reality can be broken and the imagination can run free. We can create characters with superpowers and characters with implausible body designs. As a person on the spectrum, I’ve always seen the world of cartoons as an escape from the harsh and compressive realities of real life. There, I don’t have to worry about deadlines and payments and work, or even change for that matter. I can spend time with my favorite characters and be in control of their universe.

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My exhibition is meant to be a reflection of that perspective. The main character is a fictional version of myself, escaping into a fantasy realm where all of my favorite cartoon characters can come together. This world where my character rules over is a world where anything is possible. I can summon any character I choose, I can create original art and have it interact with these characters, and I can create my own stories and conflicts.