This Irish Artist Captures The Dark Corners of a Night Out
goneplace is an illustrator who has been haunting our algorithm with his surrealist take on a big night out. Through his harrowingly accurately artwork, we are welcomed into a world of dopamine-chasing frenzy which leave us saying “never again”. Whether its becoming a gremlin at the afters or trying to resist that call from a friend asking for that one pint, these images will make you shudder.
How would you describe your art style?
I would describe it as unfinished. I used to really want a unique style and tried to emulate other styles for a long time, and recently I decided to just sketch how I wanted without thinking too much about the final result. I’ve learned to stop when I like how a drawing looks and not worry about the final product being perfect. I’m usually happy with the first sketch and just run with it.
What inspired you to start depicting the dark corners of the session?
I think there’s just a part of the late hours that nearly feels like it exists outside of time. Sitting with your mates, listening to tunes, chatting, dancing. Those are the good times. Its moments in between that don’t make as much sense when you look back, and I want to put those on display.
What would you say are the core themes of your work?
When I zoom out of my work and look at it, I think it displays a lot of themes of absurdism and cyclical behaviour. Sometimes it’s intentional, and sometimes I don’t realise it until after I’ve finished. I’m not trying to make a point necessarily with a lot of it, I’m just drawing very exaggerated scenarios and leaving them open to interpretation.
Why do you think people resonate so much with your depictions of the sesh?
I think it’s just because a lot of people are familiar with that aspect of life. I’ve noticed there’s a lot of different interpretations of the what I’m trying to convey. That’s the best compliment I could hope for.
Where does inspirations for each illustration come from?
They mainly come from things I’ve seen or heard from my early 20s. Sometimes I’ll be in a bar and someone will say something and I’ll just write down an idea from that. Other times I will just have a memory come to me out of nowhere. I think my illustrations are like jokes. For a joke to work you need to tell a story. Theres a setup and a punchline. Sometimes the punchline just isn’t very funny.
Do you think your work depicts specifically the Irish experience or the widespread experience of the dopamine cycle?
I think any topic I create art around will always be depicted through an Irish lens because it’s my home and I’ve had so many experiences living here. Based on the comment sections and speaking with people, this experience is just as much a universal one, but because of who I am, I’ll always create art that has Ireland living in it somewhere.
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