Firestarter

 Hello, I'm Gregory Santos. Thank you for having an interest in my work. This screen print is from a greater series called The Magic Realm, which draws on the nostalgia of fantasy and science fiction genres to explore escapism, dissociation, and disconnection from the pain of lived experiences and clinical depression. 

Inspired by vintage pewter figurines of wizards and dragons from my childhood of the 1980s and 90s, I used these symbols of visionary wonder to delve into the tension  Fantasy and reality. For many, the magical worlds of fantasy serve as a refuge, a place to retreat when life becomes overwhelming.  In my art, these wizards, dragons, and creatures represent both the allure of escape and the isolation that often accompanies it.

The act of dissociation, while providing temporary relief from emotional pain, can deepen feelings of detachment from oneself and the world. By evoking the nostalgia of a time when imagination felt limitless, I exactly We examine how worlds of fantasy and science fiction, both comforts and distances, reflecting the complex relationship between mental health and the need to disconnect from reality to survive.