This artwork was created specifically for Blue Man Group’s Complex Tour. The original photo is a shot from one of the shows.
The “alley” in this piece is “flawed” because the aspects of light and space do not follow physical or logical rules. But that flawed quality is what makes the piece what it is, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The lamp is a source of illumination for the entire area, but projects its light in a warm, hazy mist. The blue men may be looking out, or looking in, depending on how the space shifts. And that is true for them in reality as well, as they look into themselves and out to human society. The three blue men unite in a balanced triad, set off by the hanging lamp. The center blue man seems to be focused away from the other two, who are both looking inward, but is still with them, connected to them. Perhaps he is the strong, grounded one to whom the others look to… Finally, there is a certain depth that cannot be measured, which hints at the endless possibilities of Blue Man, and the world in general.

This piece was created for Tom Galassi, a Chicago Blue Man. A large part of the inspiration for this piece came from one of his tour journal entries, entitled “flawed heart,” where he explored the meaning of the light of God and what one should do with it. In the original photo, Tom is the right-most blue man (the one drumming on the drumbone), and so has an element of control in the scene. The theme of beauty and purpose where laws seem lacking fits for him, as he has found his own way (separate from that which others view as the “right” path for him) to shine his light and change the world. His light reflects off all the walls and creates endless shadows; it gives a warm glow to all those around him. He is who he should be—himself.