ATRBUTE Labs partnered with Tony Award-nominated @DeathBecomesHer to commission five contemporary NYC-based artists to explore different creative aspects of the musical through the artists’ unique perspective.
They each sat down with the show’s cast and creative team for insightful conversations, resulting in dynamic social content and 5 unique artworks that were displayed on a Times Square billboard and produced as limited edition prints.
Watch the full Artists On Artists series here.
Marcos Chin
(inspired by the Sound Design by Peter Hylenski and Orchestrations by Doug Besterman)
My intention was to visualize sound by creating vocabulary similar to musical notes, which I could then use to “draw” my piece. The symbols were inspired by shapes and movements that I noticed throughout the show. I distilled them into four elements: circle, twist, fountain, and diamond and I used these shapes as structural elements to build my composition. The scene I chose to illustrate was one of my favourites because I felt it effectively captured the close creative partnership between Peter and Doug.
Jade Purple Brown
(inspired by the performances of Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard, Christopher Sieber, and Michelle Williams)
For this piece, I was inspired by the bold energy, glamour, and outrageous comedy of the Death Becomes Her cast. Each character radiates a vibrant, over-the-top personality that felt perfect to translate into my signature visual language of powerful color, sharp contrast, and stylized form. I wanted to celebrate their theatricality by emphasizing dramatic poses, glowing silhouettes, and surreal movement... capturing that mix of vanity, immortality, and chaos with a fun, modern edge.
Gail Anderson
(inspired by the Book by writer Marco Pennette and Music & Lyrics by composers and lyricists Julia Mattison & Noel Carey)
Death Becomes Her opens with a whirlwind of smartypants banter, silly jokes, and rapid-fire wordplay—all in the first few minutes. It’s the kind of show that begs for playful, language-driven design. I love making art that embraces chaos, toys with words, and isn’t afraid to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks. Honestly, this one practically designed itself—and this time, everything stuck.
Jessica Walsh
(inspired by the Costume Design by Paul Tazewell, Lighting Design by Justin Townsend, and Scenic Design by Derek McLane)
We leaned into the immortal glamour and theatrical excess of Death Becomes Her—where beauty and drama refuse to die. Inspired by conversations with the show's lighting, costume, and scenic designers, the image is layered with stylistic and plot-driven Easter eggs throughout. We built a world soaked in deep purples and vintage indulgence to mirror the show’s unapologetic brilliance.
Quentin Jones
(inspired by the Direction and Choreography by Christopher Gattelli)
Death Becomes Her is drenched in glamour—but with a deliciously dark edge—which made it the perfect playground for my collage work. I wanted the layers to reflect that heightened theatricality, with surreal touches woven throughout. Purple is one of the show’s signature colors, and not usually one I work with, so I loved the challenge of using it to evoke both elegance and decay.
