They say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” but in this case, beauty is in the book about the eyes. Almost 10 years ago, artist Jason Edmiston came up with a concept: he’d capture favorite characters from pop culture by just painting their eyes. The series, called “Eyes Without a Face,” instantly took off and took over the pop culture art scene. Two gallery shows and over 400 paintings later, io9 can exclusively reveal that “Eyes Without a Face” is getting its very own book.
The 288-page hardcover captures the entire history of the series thus far and will debut at San Diego Comic-Con. “I felt very early on in the creation of the series that these paintings could be eventually be compiled into a decent sized book,” Edmiston told io9. “My goal was to elaborate in a variety of ways: size, theme, color, emotions, even breaking a few rules when the subject called for it. I really felt that they worked best as a collection versus a one-off image, and become more interesting the more the theme is expanded upon. Other than seeing collections framed on walls, I thought that the best way to share this vision was to compile them all in a book some day. Here we are, 400 paintings later, and still growing.”
That’s the cover above and, below, check out six exclusive spreads from the book. You’ll notice each page has not just the final painting, but the sketch Edmiston does to prep for it.
“I love all the double page spreads, because they fit the format of the series’ proportions perfectly, and the paintings fill the picture plane,” Edmiston said when asked about his favorite sections of the book. “This creates a great impact when you turn the page, and that piece strikes you in the face. I also love the pictures of fan collections and gallery shots. It’s very rewarding to see that the series that I love so much to work on resonated with so many people. It inspires me creatively, and financially, and allows me to make more of the art that I enjoy, and that’s the goal of any artist.”
The book will be available at jasonedmiston.com in late August/early September but, exclusive to Comic-Con, Edmistion is bringing the first 100 copies to his booth, number 4617. There, for $100, you get the book and a special brand-new “Eyes Without a Face” print. We think you’ll recognize this guy.
So if you’re in San Diego, head to booth 4617 to check out the book and keep an eye (get it?) on Edmiston’s socials for more info.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
