Often working in painting and ceramics, Patrick Siler depicts everyday experiences with a style that draws on European modern art, American abstract expressionism, and comic book illustrations. During his residency at FWM in the mid-1980s, Siler explored screenprinting on fabric to make Blaster, which captures a scene of listeners captivated by a classic boombox.
First introduced to American markets in the 1970s, boomboxes surged in popularity—and size—in the 1980s as consumers sought portable stereos capable of louder and heavier bass. In this twelve-color print on rayon challis, Siler gives his boombox a commanding graphic presence. Amid loose color fields and bold musical notes, sketches of four figures protrude from each corner expressing astonishment and delight, each craning their necks as they are drawn in by the power of the sonic experience.
