Barak Hardley And The Pop Culture Easter Eggs
Easter is a time steeped in tradition. Honored each year as the day of the resurrection of Christ, with it have evolved some other, rather odd associations: Bunnies, baskets and eggs.
Easter eggs by artist Barak Hardley have taken on a life of their own.
Every year, Los Angeles artist and actor Hardley creates new eggs based on real-life characters.
He told WhatsTrending that it all started out with a paintbrush and a few too many drinks.
“So a few years ago, I got drunk and thought I’d paint some Easter eggs. I think I painted an Abraham Lincoln on an egg, and I thought, ‘Oh my god, this is fun!’ So I did more.”
Just in time for Easter: check out artist @barakhardley painting amazing pop culture eggs! https://t.co/MkkjTUgm6w pic.twitter.com/eMbxfnP4pu
— What’s Trending (@WhatsTrending) March 26, 2016
Hardley starts planning his yearly egg-painting project around Christmas.
“I think I did 60 or so last year, so I’m shooting for 75 this year.”
Each egg becomes a condensed caricature of a person that is easily recognizable — Dolly Parton, Stevie Wonder, Mr. T, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Professor Snape, for instance.
This year, Hardley concentrated on current events, with a Donald Trump egg and a Beyoncé egg. His creative efforts were picked up by Comedy Central, who appreciated the “yolk.” The eggs are featured in a video on their YouTube channel.
Best things about Easter:
1 – Jesus
2 – Isaac OG @barakhardley‘s Easter Egg video
3 – Starbust Jelly Beanshttps://t.co/MEEbOUgAWC— isaacimprov (@isaacimprov) March 26, 2016
Like many artists, Hardley seems to always be dabbling in different things. On his blog, The Fifty Year Plan, Hardley sums up his past, and his philosophy, in three sentences.
“I grew up in Florida, but Florida is hot and covered in roaches, so now I live in California. I like to make stuff, most of which I put here. And if this whole site isn’t a proper enough display of my vanity, let me just say I have amazing calves.”
There is more. Hardley has devoted an entire section of his blog to American Presidents.
He hasn’t covered them all, and he skips around. The illustrations too run the gamut from ink sketches to watercolors to whatever Hardley seems to be in the mood for. He includes an essay with an illustration of the president. In reading these essays, one immediately understands why Comedy Central has noticed him.
Cheeky Political Artwork – The Barak Hardley Presidents Series is Bravely Wacky #Modern: http://bit.ly/kPOSnA
— Trend Hunter Modern (@th_modern) May 22, 2011
Case in point: His story about William McKinley. McKinley is portrayed on an oval canvas, shaped exactly like, well, an Easter egg.
“When the President saw his attacker being violently beaten by his guards, he begged, ‘Don’t let them hurt him!’ Great call. Very Christ-like, loving your enemies like that. Except he wasn’t nearly dead. The next day, after awakening from his surgery, McKinley felt much better. ‘How did they like my speech?’ he asked. Throw in a little humor into your last words. Well played. He was strong even through the end, they’d say. But it wasn’t the end. In fact, he kept getting better, which had to bring a mix of emotions to the vice-president.”
Besides Easter eggs, and presidential historical portraits, Hardley has a couple of his own art prints for sale. Most interesting is, “Perhaps She’ll Die.” When looking at it, one quickly recognizes the old lady from a nursery rhyme, which was originally sung by Burl Ives. “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.”
The song goes on, and Hardley’s illustration has managed to cram them all in, from the fly up to the horse, in a way that must be seen to be appreciated.
Hardley also offers paper doll cut outs, complete with wardrobe. He has designed it so a buyer can dress up Bill Murray or Sigourney Weaver.
Like the rest of his work, Hardley’s Easter eggs are offbeat, irreverent, and fun. At this rate, he may just evolve into the next holiday tradition.
[Image via Tiplyashina Evgeniya/Shutterstock]
