Dead as a Doorknob

"Dead as a Doorknob" is a work on paper by Dan Colen executed in graphite and charcoal, mediums that lend themselves to the artist's ongoing exploration of decay, absence, and the poetry of discarded culture. Colen's use of these raw, traditional drawing materials evokes a gritty, tactile quality that resonates with the work's evocative title, suggesting both physical deterioration and a darkly humorous fatalism. The piece reflects Colen's broader practice of mining everyday language and detritus for deeper emotional and existential meaning.