Dave Lebow: the Soul Behind Dexter's DDK

"This is the way the world ends"

Finally got to watch the sixth season of Dexter. Another great season, save for the Dexter/Deb dynamic which wanes thinner and thinner on my nerves each season... let's hope with the cliffhanger they smacked us in the face with alleviates some of that tediousness next season.

Really, when all is said and done, every season of Dexter has successfully and repeatedly toyed with excellence. The religious zealotry and psychotic-WTF of this 12 episode run didn't disappoint, mainly in thanks to the the brilliantly evil Revelations tableaus. I love and lust after a creative kill in my horror an element of the genre that Dexter (with the exception of the Ice Truck Killer) has always been a bit lacking in for me.

Fictional killers like those in 2009's The Collector, Horsemen, The Silence of the Lambs in '91 (trailed but not surpassed by 2002's Red Dragon or the much maligned, nearly forgotten Manhunter released in 1986), and even on occasion Freddy and Jason, who take a little time to really engross us with their passion and flourish with some style in either the hunt or how they display their prey to be discovered later, can really elevate even the most low budget of movies. As the season played itself out, the macabre effect and presentation of the victims unfortunately lost some of the vehemence that they'd had with the Angel of Death or the Four Horseman. Sure, our killer was on the run and forced to improvise, so the final product was compromised-- I get that. I build for Halloween every year! Luckily, the oil paintings that captured these end-of-days tableaus, didn't lose a shred of intensity.



"Seven Snakes"



"Whore of Babylon"



"Seven Bowls of Wrath"

I wish they'd been a little less backdrop. I found myself not listening to the characters at all, trying to sneak a peak behind them to the paintings, so I googled. The Doomsday Killer/s work was envisioned by and brought to canvas by real life artist, Dave Lebow. The technique and visual of movement and light is astounding. Elements of Klimt, Frazetta with a breath of VanGogh hit the canvas in striking style and subject all his own. His 2010 portfolio is by far my favorite:

"The Magic Show"



"Satan's Shadow"

Hmm, I wonder why?

Scrolling through his web page I was reminded of the covers and art spreads in Heavy Metal magazine I'd sneak peaks of while snooping through my Dad's studio on early weekend mornings, my parents still asleep and unknowing upstairs. For all I know Lebow's work could've been amongst those pages. One thing is for certain, his are beautiful works with a darkness and macabre sense of humor that tickles my poor unfortunate, damned little soul.

For more Dave Lebow go to:
His Blog
His deviantart page