An Ode to Stephen King

This painting has been inspired by famous Stephen King’s novels called The Dark Tower. During 8 books, the American writer tells the story of Roland Deschain and his quest toward the Dark Tower which is said to be the center of the world. Reaching this tower would  enable Roland to save his decaying world torn up by wars and destruction. Behind the narrative weave apparent simplicity, King created a very particular and complex book where western, horror, science fiction and dark fantasy coexist in surprising harmony. A universe where Middle Ages, Cowboys and futuristic technologies live together. For years, those books has been a part of my life, as I  was waiting impatiently for the next volume to be published. Like no other writer, King has the capacity to make me travel in a fictionnel world. When I read his books, the world outside disapear for a few hours.

The character on the painting is the Crimson King, Roland’s nemesis. He represents the ultimate evil, the one that wants to destroy and conquer this world. He appears in many Stephen King’s book, with different names. I represented him faceless with light blue clothes to create a constrast with the warm colors behind him. On the background, we hardly see the Dark Tower, which represent hope for Roland, guarded by the Crimson King. The red field where the tower stands is made of poppies. The orange sky give us the feeling of a burning summer day.