The Matrix Bunny

When I look at this, my first reaction is to chuckle at the cleverness of a literal interpretation of what the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland would look like in Matrix garb. When some people look at an image though, they never get beyond this initial glance.

The longer I stare, something comes over me that used to happen when I was a kid lying in my room listening to records, cassettes, and later CDs. I would just sit there for hours gazing at every nuance of the artwork on the album. I’d trace my eyes over every tooth on Gene Simmon’s monster boots on the cover of Destroyer and count every arm coming out of the Jimi Hendrix Experience on Axis: Bold as Love.

As I stared at all the details Michael put into this illustration, I realized something. Even if I didn’t know him, I would know that he spent hours scrutinizing the style of sunglasses Keanu Reeves wore and the exact cut of the collar on his jacket. I can only guess how many pocket watches he must have studied and how many pet shop rabbits he blew on to visualize the look of windswept ears.

Adding details is one of the weak points of my writing style, but Michael’s visual art gives me the inspiration to look deeper at the world around me and into my own mind. Maybe it will make me a better writer one day.