When They Left

Located on Spring Street car park entrance I 2017

Created for the 2017 Paradox Street Art Festival

When They Left takes the famous story and turns it into a dark, surrealist and, at times, bizarre spectacle. In this work, Yikes has created characters who morph and contort around each other. Together, they are at once both playful and mysterious.

This work was designed specifically for the space and shape of the wall. Yikes describes it as a way to trap the image, working from the outward corner adding his memories and ideas, along with suggestions from his five-year-old son. He says the corner of this work represents the corner of his mind where his memories of the nursery rhyme live.

Yikes describes his style as cartoon surrealism, though he admits his work can often be bizarre and quite dark. He is influenced by animation from the 1970s to the 1990s, but he attributes the darker elements of his work to his struggles with mental health. Yikes has often spoken about how his approach to art and the way he works is a form of therapy for him.

Information from: https://cityartwalktga.stqry.app/1/tour/6885/item