Vermilion Syndicate Creates Artwork with Countercultural Themes

ATLANTA, May 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- "I feel like I am in a cult."

"Vermilion is already corrupting the youth."

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160516/367828
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160516/367829 

Julian Caesar smiles like the Grinch, his lips curl into a mischievous smirk. These are the kind of reactions he and the members of the creative agency Vermilion Syndicate find most satisfying and are actual quotes from early customers. Vermilion Archival Prints, the first line of products offered by Vermilion Syndicate, are inspired by charlatans, con artists, cult leaders, and other malcontents. "Vermilion is for troublemakers," Julian explains. "I was a behavioral problem in grade school and was dismissed as a failure by a high school principal. In my 20s, I discovered the pleasures alcohol and other controlled substances which I consumed at levels best described as reckless and excessive—the usual tortured artist tropes." A virulent disdain for clichés and an unwillingness to take himself seriously, forced Julian to channel those addictive and destructive impulses into creation. 

Vermilion Archival Prints combine countercultural themes with religious/esoteric iconography and an anachronistic, almost Victorian sensibility. The company credo, "We gladly feast on those who would subdue us." from the icons of macabre, the Addams Family is both celebratory and impudent. "The generation we are part of has already been labeled and in countless ways, already dismissed, often by those who raised us, who are charged with educating us, who currently run the institutions we have to participate in. We gladly feast on those who would subdue us expresses solidarity with our generation and is a statement of caution to those who attempt to hinder our inevitable ascension." 

Each print is limited to 100, made on heavyweight archival paper and immediately command attention with rich, saturated images, bold lettering and sheer size. The smallest print in the first collection is 11" x 14," while the largest at 34" x 22" (pictured) could easily find a home above a headboard or serve as a centerpiece on a living room wall. "Because of a well earned reputation for decadence, people are often surprised to discover that I am reserved and self-contained," Julian says. "Vermilion prints are brash and obnoxious. All of us appreciate the outsized personalities of rappers, athletes and rock stars, even though most of us are quiet introverts." 

For Julian Caesar and the members of Vermilion Syndicate, the Archival Prints are only the beginning. A limited run of handwritten items will be available this summer, along with Vermilion, a book of verse, thoughts and small stories. A second collection of prints are already in the works. "We look at publishers like Taschen as a model for what we want Vermilion Syndicate to be. Above everything else, Vermilion is a celebration of art. We want to manifest as many beautiful objects into the world as possible." 

To purchase Vermilion Archival Prints: http://vermilionsyndicate.bigcartel.com

Follow Julian Caesar on Twitter: @exit_the_void

Media contact:
Rae Witte
917-719-7276

SOURCE Vermilion Syndicate