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Chicago based illustrator and artist Kiersten Essenpreis pays tribute to stand-up comedian Mitch Hedberg for Gallery1988?s “Is This Thing On?”.
When Gallery 1988 asked me if I’d like to participate in their second installment of Is This Thing On?, I jumped at the chance. Last year I depicted the great Steve Martin, but this year I decided to take on my other favorite comic, the late Mitch Hedberg.
I was first introduced to Mitch’s stand-up years back, by my roommate who used to play his recordings while we worked in the studio. I was instantly in love. His wit, play with language, and absurd observations paired with an odd, but enduring delivery made for a great comic who continues to be missed.
I once read that Mitch suffered from almost paralyzing stage fright and often wore sunglasses while on stage, so he could close his eyes while speaking. I thought about this a lot while sketching up ideas for my piece, and decided that a straight-forward portrait of Mitch would not suit him. To me, his words are really what he’d most likely prefer to be remembered for, so I tested out a new technique and created 8 small, wood etchings of my favorite quotes. All wood panels are sealed in resin.
