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John Horrell
Mixed Media
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Peter Dragon
A Rock & Roll Soul with a Manic Disorder
Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s John was surrounded by sex, drugs and rock and roll. His biological father went to prison for murder after a bad PCP trip and he and his mother and adoptive dad moved all over the country in a gypsy lifestyle never putting roots down in one place. Although he did not have a place to call home he felt at home with his art.
He began his professional art career in the surf industry where he adopted the name Peter Dragon after a Mad Magazine cartoon. Over the years he became increasingly manic and suffered from anxiety that developed into physical manifestations. One way he found to cope with this disorder was through his art. As the art became therapy it also became more intense, layering thoughts and emotions in a totally unique way. This would develop into his recognizable style that you see today.
The Love Artist:
The "heart shape" (♥) is an ideograph used to express the idea of the "heart" in its metaphorical or symbolic sense as the center of emotion, including affection and love, especially (but not exclusively) romantic love.
An icon has no power other than the intention we give it. The heart is a powerful icon that is ever present in Peter Dragon’s work. Having witnessed first-hand so much bad and evil in the world it was only natural that Peter Dragon fought against that dark power with his art, promoting peace, love and unity through his paintings.
Peter Dragon: "Each piece of my art is a result of those 100's or 1000's of hours of failures and experiments. Each a piece of my heart, my soul, a moment of my life."
