ABC No Rio – An Illustrated Short Story Prototype

October 20, 2012

I collaborated with two other artists, Tharit Firm Tothong and Giselle Wynn, on the creation of this illustrated short story for a class project. The piece pays tribute to ABC No Rio, an art gallery and concert space in the Lower East Side that has been in operation since the early 80s and was very active politically active during the late 80s and early 90s, acting as a sanctuary for society’s misfit demographics, as well as taking a strong stance of opposition to NYC’s heavy gentrification at the time. The piece speculates a fictional narrative from the point of view of a poor musician living in the slums of an overpopulated and depressed urban setting.

The piece is comprised of unpolished illustrations, done by myself and Giselle, as well as a collection of photographs of authentic artwork from within the walls ABC No Rio itself, taken by Firm. Firm also oversaw the design and layout of the composition.