Shared universe: the fine art/comic book crossovers of Jim Shaw and Mike Kelley

Abstract

While art history exists as a unique and independent field defined by its own rules and characteristics, art historians also engage in interdisciplinary scholarship. Whether referencing religious studies to interpret a Renaissance painting or applying psychology and literary scholarship to interpretations of surrealism, the art world undoubtedly interacts with other disciplines. However, one field that is infrequently recognized by art historians is comics studies. In this thesis I intend to rectify this omission and suggest a new theoretical concept, the fine art/comic book crossover, which refers to artworks that significantly engage with the world of comics. By acknowledging the existence of these crossovers I intend to argue for the consideration and implementation of comics scholarship in conjunction with existing art historical scholarship on works of art that interact with comics in a meaningful way. To do this I will focus specifically on Mike Kelley's Kandors series and Jim Shaw's My Mirage as case studies of crossovers. In relation to these works I will address an array of topics: the parameters of the comics and art worlds, the circumstances under which crossovers occur, the role of narrative in comic books, how artists' books relate to comics, and the parallels between viewer participation and reading comics. Through a multilateral approach, I intend to merge these two distinct fields of study in order to reveal that a consideration of both is not only warranted, but contributes to a more satisfying and appropriately complex interpretation of the artwork.