Illustrator Mike Hinson is serving up humor with a side of social satire in his show “Welcome to the Future, I Hate It Here: Mike Hinson,” showing at the Montserrat College of Art’s Carol Schlosberg Alumni Gallery through September 12.
The series of nine posters, mounted in the exhibition and viewable online, satirize contemporary issues like the environmental crisis and the curated representations of life presented on social media. Hinson began the project in January but continued creating work as the pandemic developed. This makes him one of the rare artists at the moment to have a physical show displaying pandemic-inspired works. The show can be viewed on the Montserrat website or in person by appointment.
One poster shows two haggard delivery people with limbs in casts, crying and surrounded by packages. The slogan says, “Literally Anything: Delivered to you by any means necessary.” The piece is punctuated with catch phrases like “Providing quality and convenience at all costs.” This is especially resonant as online sales skyrocket during COVID-19, putting employees at risk while safe, wealthy tycoons reap the rewards.
Despite the digital presentation, it was important to Hinson to create the in-person show as well. “Part of me always loves owning physical things, especially when it comes to art. I collect a ton of books and zines and comics and things like that,” Hinson says. “It’s important to me to have something physical that people can see and hold onto and experience in a different way than just opening up your phone.”
This is the first time he’s present work on such a large scale. The gallery features the nine posters framed on one wall and a wallpaper-style print on the opposite wall as a photo backdrop. A digital screen shows visitors who have used the concurrent Instagram filter to express their appreciation for Hinson’s work. The filter can be accessed from anywhere and puts a frame of Hinson’s cartoon stickers around the selfie takers head. Here the digital and the analog flow together, marrying the physical history of comic books with the age of Instagram memes.
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