TENSION
it’s getting hot in here (so take off all your clothes)
42 x 59cm, Acrylic on MDF, 2023
Place yourself in 2009: Obama is inaugurated, teacup pigs are all the rage and you’re either Team Edward or Team Jacob. Suddenly swine flu sweeps the globe, the bush is on fire and Bitcoin has been created. An environment of paranoia and growing tension has been established.
tig
42 x 59cm, Acrylic on MDF, 2021
The inherent competitiveness of ‘alpha-males’ and the metaphorical chase for dominance are increasing topics within online culture. In a cute yet violent way, this style projects the innocence and naivety often associated with early stages of development. Whether physically growing or devolving in mindset, we look at the primal quality lying dormant within us. Prominent male figures revert to childhood insecurities to engage a large audience, oversimplifying socio-cultural topics and pushing responsibilities aside.
branded
30 x 90cm, Acrylic on MDF, 2023
The toxic culture surrounding masculinity cannot be discussed without understanding unrealistic expectations surrounding young men. The growth of alt-right culture via social media has provided a bed of comfort to those who fear change; a further exploitation of a vulnerable audience. Better yet, the expansion of online consumption and alternative news has allowed for benzos addicted, all-meat eating, soured-psychologists to monetize your free time. This piece illuminates placing identity on ‘traditional’ physique, where pushups fix relationships.
boo to a goose
30 x 30cm, Acrylic on MDF, 2023
Inspired by the veracious documentary series ‘Hermit Kingdom’ (2008), a catalogue of prohibited items are secretly shared for those entering North Korea. Through an exploration of propaganda, the importance of digital literacy and critical thinking are highlighted. Parallels can be drawn between over-restricting and the overconsumption of media, where tangible historical events and conspiratorial ideologies begin to blur. Amidst the omnipresent realm of global inequalities and information sharing, the growth of conspiratorial thinking leaves true injustice behind.
parkour
59 x 42cm, Acrylic on MDF, 2023
Do you remember this guy? He’s my favourite collective hallucination, running alongside your car as a child. Sometimes he floated like an orb, other times he started to glide like Sonic. He was always sprinting on all fours, climbing office buildings and overtaking us at stop signs.
Hmm ok, just me?
CHAOS
alpha zoo
125cm x 95cm, Acrylic on MDF, 2023
At surface, a wild and thriving circus forms a childhood tale of lions, tigers and bears. However when delving further, blue and red camps have emerged with clear division. The blue camp is calmer in nature, with less to see and explore. Symbolism of lost hope and anonymity are prevalent. Humans stand politely in costumes, as opposed to the feral ‘mask-off’ approach of the right. A fragile rainbow arch and a false sense of escapism take centre. Attendees are pushed through a cycle of commercialism, where a gruesome murder may not initially catch viewer’s eyes.
jimbo was murdered
125cm x 95cm, Acrylic on MDF, 2023
“Jimbo was a good man, he was the best snake wrangler that there ever damn was. Handsome too. It’s a shame he got too big for his cowboys boots, listenin’ to those intellectual shows and readin’ those papers. With his big ol’ pretty hands. I tell you what man, there’s two kinds of people in this world and I’m the good God fearin’ kind.”
opposables
125cm x 95cm, Acrylic on MDF, 2023
A generational perspective into how we have evolved. To consider both sides of the coin: you may relate to an inherited lack of control or the phrase “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”.
‘NORMALITY’
Spaceman Jeff
42 x 59cm, Acrylic and ink on MDF, 2023
I’ll let you see my first imaginary friend, named Jeff. He was an astronaut with floppy hair and a blunt moustache, who visited me at the bottom of my garden. Sometimes he would shout a tale from his underground cave. Other days he floated above me, inside his spacesuit. Either way, I always appreciated that Jeff had a different perspective. He’s been in space since 2003, why don’t you catch him up?
the island
45 x 57 x 4cm, Acrylic on my former kitchen table, 2023
To paraphrase Haraway’s theory of ‘Embedding’; primate evolution is seen as the precursor to humanity and civilization. Whether speaking of machismo or nuclear families, an archaic template is cyclically fallen upon when in crisis. Within ‘A Cyborg Manifesto’ (1985), we see how in order to survive, women have always had to simplify their identity and avoid the label of ‘otherness’. Is there a more universally ironic tribute to the endurance of women than a worn kitchen table? Torn from my wall after decades of repainting and serving, this chameleonic shell celebrates the strength of women while highlighting their struggle.
good morning mr magpie, good morning mrs magpie
94 x 122cm, Acrylic on MDF, 2023
A final piece created with the abstract concept of ‘normality’ in mind, paying homage to nostalgia and wishful thinking. The phrase “Good Morning Mr Magpie, Good Morning Mrs Magpie” derives from the British superstition of one magpie signifying bad luck and multiple leading to good fortune. With this, familiarity and routine juxtapose a doomsday skyline, where in current circumstances, we are struggling to break the bind of social roles and find comfort in routine.
