The book depicts a diverse cast of characters through an evolution from creation to thought. Starting in the Darwinian sense, the hand-drawn creatures float underwater and emerge to play on land and float in air. Once in the atmosphere they play and dance, have conversations and parties, even form armies and engage in conflicts. The creatures notice shadows; they notice walls, realizing that they are actually inside an enclosure. This realization forms the basis for an existential crisis (on the scale of Sartre’s 'No Exit'). The creatures yearn for freedom from these box like enclosures. Moving faster and faster, they break the time/space continuum and are released from the boxes into the platitudes of space. Here a new form of enlightenment is found as Volla’s creatures discover that they are growing into themselves both physically and mentally. They are now aware of the adage "Cogito ergo sum" (I think therefore I am)", but what will they do with that?
Printed in high resolution black and white on a satin finish, Matt Volla’s Unruly Drawings is an immersive visual experience. An essay from Berin Golonu, Associate Visual Arts Curator at the Yerba Buena Center For The Arts in San Francisco, accompanies the story.
The book release event will be held at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center in Queens, NY and will be celebrated with large scale animated projections of characters evolving from the book.