DAAYUM!, David Kracov

"DAAYUM!" is a standout work in David Kracov's "Comics Explosion" series, encapsulating the artist's four-decade inspiration drawn from the pages of comic books. This 3D Metal Wall Sculpture features the slang exclamation "DAAYUM!" as if catapulted from a comic strip bubble, capturing the surprise and exaggerated emotion typical of the graphic novel vernacular. The galvanized metal is skillfully shaped and painted with acrylics, bringing the text to life with bold color and the illusion of mid-action dynamism. Kracov's celebration of comics as a fusion of literary and visual art is evident here; he invites the viewer into a vivid encounter with the story, both through the dramatic text and the explosive aesthetic. The sculpture embodies a moment of astonishment, a freeze-frame of the magical realism that comics represent.