‘bioshock: atlas’
This is a companion illustration to ‘Bioshock: Welcome to Rapture’.
I wanted to capture one of the key mythological influences in the game: that of the titan Atlas, who is bound to carry the heavens and skies on his shoulders.
In the city of Rapture, Atlas symbolically holds the ocean above: one of the many references to Ayn Rand’s 1957 novel ‘Atlas Shrugged’. Atlas in Bioshock represents Andrew Ryan’s belief in the myth of utopia, and also the exploited working class who strived to protect the city from the pressure of the water above. In the end Rapture succumbs to both the pressure of the ocean and the collapse of society.
For this illustration, I drew heavily on the art deco influences in the game. The colossal face of Atlas is inspired by a statue from the Palace of Justice building of São Paulo, which depicts the god Hermes, representing negotiation, politics and commerce.
‘No Gods or Kings. Only Man.’ is one of Andrew Ryan’s slogans. You encounter this very early in the game, and it exposes Ryans’ hypocrisy: he says all men are equal, but in fact he reigns supreme in Rapture.
Available as A3 and A4 recycled prints, or framed and ready to hang.