"To Be Continued' is a series of works by artist Jon Rappleye,

characterized by a complex blend of imagery that evokes decayed

stage sets and artificial facades, merging the sublime with the absurd.

Rappleye draws inspiration from a wide array of sources, including

vintage cartoons, Old Masters, nature, and decorative pastiche. His

long-standing interest in Renaissance artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who

significantly influenced the Surrealists, informs much of his work. For

this series, appleye was particularly inspired by the early 19th-

century English caricaturist and satirist William Heath, who created a

series of popular etchings that exaggerated aspects of the new fashions

of the time to the point of absurdity. Heath is credited with creating

the first genuine comic magazine and coining the cliffhanger phrase

"To Be Continued.

Heath's March of Intellect series (1825-1829) depicts a robot

composed of unrelated objects - predating the term "robot" by nearly a

century. Rappleye's works, such as Unintended Consequences On Our

Way Back From Eden I and II, feature characters assembled in a cut-

and-paste style: one figure has a brick wall for a body and a broom for

a tail, while another character shakes a plucked animal while speaking

on a vintage telephone. In the background, rolling hills and an old barn

add to the surreal landscape, while the foreground showcases

meticulously painted butterflies and pink flowers.

Rappleye's work is steeped in history, tradition, and nostalgia,

reflecting a skepticism toward the swiftly changing impact of robotics

and technology on society. His art challenges perceptions of reality in

an era dominated by Al, manipulated images, and fake news. Within

his imaginative worlds, he reinterprets childlike imagery through an

adult lens, revealing layers of deeper and more complex meaning.

JON RAPPLEYE