Outareach (Back to the Future 2) by Mark Davies

Outa ideas? No chance! My love for the ‘Back to the Future’ films is as strong as ever. Travelling back to 2016 is when ‘OUTATIME’ was created as part of my debut ‘Lost in Hollywood’ collection. A sold-out edition, it seemed to really capture the imagination of my collectors as so much was going on but just out of sight. As a mixture of commissioned pieces and limited editions, I have created a cracking set of artworks that showcased the iconic ‘DeLorean’ time machine and the brilliant details from the movies. ‘OUTALUCK’, ‘OUTASTEAM’, ‘OUTAAIR’, ‘OUTAHERE’ and a unique ’88 and OUT’ have all pulled on the heart strings and have been so well received. It’s a fine balance, as you don’t want to over produce, tricky when your head is so full of new interpretations, but there was always one missing.  I have always been asked if I was going to take on ‘Back to the Future 2’ and now, after 3 years I am so pleased to unveil ‘OUTAREACH’!

The second movie really stood out as a kid in the 80s and that fire was kept burning throughout adulthood with the fascination of comparing what the film predicted 2015 would look like with how it actually transpired. So, the scene that you now see playing out here is one that I have kept locked away for years, it’s quite something to see it come to life now. A theme that has followed on with each release of ‘Lost in Hollywood’ has been certain pieces becoming more ‘in your face’ with the introduction of key characters. Generally, the details and hidden references in my works mean that adding these characters isn’t a necessity but some pieces that have a particular meaning really benefits from them and ‘OUTAREACH’ is a shining example of this.

There is a sense of defiance, of strength, a partnership at the top of their game, changing the course of time in the ultimate car. Marty and Doc transform this piece! McFly’s pose, sat on the bonnet in that iconic outfit as Doc keeps everything out of reach as he hovers just above the lake, it just portrays such a sense of being untouchable. That expression on Docs’ face! So good! This concept of being above everything is amplified by the number of chickens that encircle them, certainly one of the most random moments in the studio for sure! Welcome inside my head! First glance and it’s just pure good fun but there’s a sense of strength to fight off the insult of being called chicken, a random line that seemed to create such a strong reaction. Now, despite being surrounded and with chickens coming at him from all angles, it’s cool, no flux given. Rise above it!

I am so proud of this piece; everything has come together perfectly. The colours especially scream 80s, the jade green against the pinks and orange transform the impact of the art. Having wanted to show the ‘DeLorean’ in flight for years, seeing it ready for take-off is so pleasing, for me it is the subtle, technical details that most won’t spot that are so rewarding. Yet, despite the impact and positioning of the time machine and the Doc and Marty, it is the ‘Mall’ that I am as equally proud of. The work that went into that was insane! Having seen how it looked in the first movie, to see it clad with glass was superb, so I have gone big with this detail. In the movie, the brick fascia looked a bit bare in comparison, so what I have done is to create a series of adverts that promote products that can be found inside the mall as well as local businesses and, ‘Jaws 19’! If you have been with me since the start, then you will get it. As well as featuring adverts from details that were seen in the film, I have also positioned adverts of actual products that came out in 2015 that still relate to the movie. I will leave those for you to decipher. The ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy was and always will be adored and so much fun, I had so much of a laugh creating ‘OUTAREACH’, there is no better example of how your imagination runs away from you when you’re consumed in the emotion of the movie than the chicken that is racing away from the shark. It took an age to create so it looked believable despite being so random! Again, there’s something in that, gathering pace and distance against a shark that lurks beneath the surface who pops up, gives up then goes back under.

Bullies have no future.

MARK DAVIES