Travis Lemieux

Matyrdom

A 3 paneled winged altarpiece. 3 large-scale graphite drawings incased in a wood frame.

“The project takes the form of a Northern Renaissance inspired altarpiece, referencing the visual authority and devotional function of religious art from this period. By appropriating this aesthetic, I elevate fan art into the space traditionally reserved for canonical works, reframing it as both reverent and critical. The piece reimagines Warhammer iconography through the lens of Christian devotional painting, constructing a fictional narrative of martyrdom, power, and propaganda within the Empire of Man.Central to the work is my self-portrait, inserted as the doomed son of a corrupt duke. The act of self-representation asserts my presence within the copywritten world, questioning the boundaries between creator, consumer and subject. The environment of the piece is inspired by Northern Ontario landscapes and further grounds the work in my lived experience growing up in North Bay, Ontario. Additionally, the figure of Karox the Goregave (the large goat-headed Beastman in the central drawing) draws from myths and legends of the Windiigo, connecting the work directly to my Ojibwe heritage.Through the synthesis of research, personal history and adaptation through my work, I assert fan art as a legitimate contemporary art practice.”