Published July 22, 2020

Interview with VoyageLA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Argus Dorian.

Q. Argus, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.

I remember myself six years old when my father told me to join him to see a movie. He was passionated with Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Wishbone Ash, etc so we saw together “The Wall” from Pink Floyd. It was a shocking experience for me when my dad explained me all the symbols, meanings, lyrics… those were images that followed my entire life. And this was the beginning, I started looking at the covers of all his records and my passion with art stated. It was already in my wains since my grandpa was a painter (as a hobby) and my mother had this talent too, so basically art was inside me, I just found the direction to follow.

When I was eight years old, we left Poland and immigrated to Greece, a country my parents fell in love because its beauty and ancient history. Unfortunately for me, it was very hard experience because I faced a lot of racism since I didn’t know the language and for many years, I was alone without many friends and closed to myself. This gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge about art, music, poetry. I won a lot of competitions and that cheer me up since I was becoming popular at school.

At my teen, I started listening to heavy metal and to copy all Iron Maiden covers, my favourite band. The path for me was written, I wanted to become an artist. I started learning traditional art and painting, drawing ancient statues and repairing myself for the school of fine arts in Athens. But life sometimes plays strange games and I end up studying Art and Graphic Design. I graduated first with higher grades and a scholarship. I instantly started working in an advertising company making photo manipulations for fashion magazines and since then, I work in graphic design industry.

But something inside me was burning, a flame of creativity that my job couldn’t satisfy. I was always in love with art by HR Giger, Luis Royo and Dave McKean and I was drawing almost every day after work but I couldn’t publish anything because of the nature of my art. Greece is a very religious country and a bit close-minded with dark art, so I had problems with clients at work who didn’t want to work with an “evil” and “disturbed” person! Lol! Unfortunately, this kept me hidden for almost ten years, then I changed work and gain freedom at last.

I started my Instagram about two years ago. The story in my mind was to create a storyline about the consequences of Earth pollution since for some years, I was working with Greenpeace and generally I care about environment and nature. I designed a dark vision of the wrong path that we take and will lead us to our distraction. The story starts with the chapter “Pollution” basically showing myself and some children with toxic masks trying to awake people to think about our future sending sos messages. The next chapter is “The Changing” were people’s DNA start to transform due the pollution making people act like beasts and killing each other that leads to the next chapter were “Hunters” were born. Toxic people who hunt and kill for enjoyment. Meanwhile, the Elite were hidden in underground facilities making experiments on creating new generation of people that can survive on the toxic surface and fight the hunters. Here the “Assassins” were created. (Start the story here)

So basically, my whole art is based on a story, sending environmental messages about pollution, destruction of the planet, children death from starvation, toxic environment, extinction and experiments on animals and people and more. That illustrated story was the trigger that half a year ago a friend of mine and I wrote the book: “Decayed Nation – A Bloody Story of Survival – vol 1”. Since then, I create art based on this dark vision of our future. I work with models from all around world making professional manipulations always based on my story and trying to send a message to awake people from the upcoming disaster, that we have to change and wake up, look for what really matters in our life. Yes, Dark Art is shocking sometimes but we have to read behind the picture.

I’m proud that I manage to find amazing artists and friends with amazing personalities that help me, support me and give me a reason to exist and carry on with my art. I know that there is always someone that will be there to help me to keep this flame of creativity to burn forever and unite us. We are all Decaydead!

Q. Has it been a smooth road?

The biggest problem was that since the big financial crisis started in Greece, I couldn’t easily change job since the unemployment was very high, so I had to be very careful with my art. People don’t accept dark art here and add you labels like “satanist”, “evil”, “disturbed” and that was a problem since as a graphic designer, I was working with many clients. Many of them when saw my art on Deviant Art, stopped working with me or made complaints to the company I was working, how that have this “satanist” at this position… This was crazy… and the crisis in Greece lasted over ten years! And I couldn’t rest to lose my job so I designed only for myself. This kept me back for a long time…

Q. We’d love to hear more about your business.

Decaydead.com is a website providing advanced professional photo manipulations in a dark, cyberpunk, gore style. I’m known for my unique dark style, that I work with real models and the concepts behind the images I made. Also that even tho my art expanded and gain a lot of popularity the last year, I never see myself as someone special, many new followers are surprised that I find time and talk with them and I tell them and explain them, that without them and all the rest who support me, I would be no one, and that’s the truth. I exist because of the people that believe in me, in my vision, support me and push me to become better. And this is the propose of social media, unite, help each other and make each other better. Only if we all together light the flame of creativity, we can change this world for a better place. And I’m proud that I achieved making a community of artists and friends that we do that and expand. What sets me apart from others? My style and communication with people.

Originally published at VoyageLA here