Texas Chainsaw Massacre Screen Print 2018

This is Robert Sammelin’s screen print for the *Texas Chainsaw Massacre.* Sammelin is a 20th century artist known for his dynamic horror film posters. The original *Texas Chainsaw Massacre*, a low budget film directed by Tobe Hooper, was released in 1974, in the wake of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, when America was grappling with a profound loss of innocence and trust in authority. Hooper spoke about wanting to make a film about meat, about the anonymity of it, and the reality of where it comes from. Here, Sammelin captures the film's raw intensity, portraying Leatherface in a grotesque, almost celebratory manner. The multiple Leatherfaces become a symbol of the pervasive, inescapable nature of violence. The work confronts us with uncomfortable truths about fear, family, and the disturbing undercurrents of American society. Sammelin uses a bold color palette, turning horror into something vivid, immediate and visceral.