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Balboa (Rocky) – Bilboard Edition by Mark Davies

‘BALBOA’ Billboard – Rocky

‘BALBOA’ was my first piece where I work with smoke detail to create a silhouetted character and I am so pleased by the results. Rather than the static and stark silhouettes that are typical I have strived to inject movement and depth into mine through using the smoke textures. I love how it flows, expanding and contracting to take the shape of the body.

The image of Rocky is so incredibly iconic and exists in so many variants, so I was keen on going at this in a different way. Through using the smoke-like textures to create the body it gives off this wonderful ghost-like quality that is perfect for my ‘Lost In Hollywood’ series where we consider the characters from the film that are left behind once the filming stops and the lights go out.

The USA flag has been depicted within the body through the red, white, and blue and the stars whilst hints of the cityscape form the background. I wanted to do something that was gritty where the smoke represents the downtown Philadelphia element whilst in contrast the stars and lighting signify the bright lights of the arena and the fame that Rocky found.