Artistic Style

February 11,2009

Duncan's artistic style can best be described as a mix of influences ranging from realism to surrealism to impressionism with some abstract thrown in for good measure.  Weller changes styles from work to work and often mixes influences within the same project. Weller's artistic style is used very deliberately to add depth and meaning to the themes that he is conveying in his writing.  

 In the picture book, The Boy from the Sun, changing between the abstract style depicting the children in the beginning of the book changes to a more impressionist view of the world as the boy moves from the concrete of the city, to a park, through a field and into a lush forest-like setting.  As the children move from the sparse, black and white world of the city and onto the greenery of the park, more and more details and colors emerge. As the children and the sun-boy move along the black outline of the factory billowing smoke that is visible in the first part of the book, fades further into the distance and the scenery becomes filled with lush vegetation, people, and animals.

In the mural that Weller painted at the Guildford Public Library, the scenes vary between realistic and the surreal and in some places segue from realism into impressionistic outlines.  The Guildford Public Library mural incorporates architectural and furniture elements into the narrative being told by the illustrations, moving the viewer seamlessly between the real world of bricks and mortar into the fantasy world of books.  Weller used scenes from the library books painted onto the walls to illustrate the larger point about how books and the library create vivid world for the reader to experience.

While it may be the case that Weller is still in the process of truly developing his artistic style, it is more accurate to say that his mix of styles is a deliberate attempt to visually challenge the audience while resisting being categorized.  What is certain is that his diversity of style is being noticed and appreciated by the children who read his stories.