"Here it is also clear that since humans can choose to be either cruel or good, they are, in fact, neither of these things essentially." - Jean-Paul Sartre
A four-piece collection comprising of hyper-realistic drawing and installation. The theme moves from the contrast between good and evil to the contrast of the ordinary and extraordinary. The hyper-realistic drawings have been exhibited at Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the light installation was exhibited in the Tatham Art Galley in South Africa.
My main idea for the following artworks sparked out of a response to an unusual and confusing, but thought provoking, encounter I had with a man. You see he had a very original and different view on the world that at first glance appeared to be void of opinion but upon closer inspection made you question every belief and view you had. The encounter sent me spiralling into a world of chaos, as in the process of questioning everything I had held to be true, I lost what had previously existed as meaning. My mind was stripped down to its basics; the fundamentals of human existence. This idea of ‘good vs. evil’ was one of the main ideas. Through working through my first artwork, entitled, I’m Inside You, I came to the conclusion that we are both. This idea brought me to a new space. I started to contemplate this idea of revenge. This idea I explored in the second artwork I present to you, entitled, Is It Worth It?
I’m Inside You (Pencil, 600mm x 620mm)
He lives in all of us, that stranger that we don’t want to know - but we do. Some know him better than others. If you have ever had to fight to survive you’ll know him. If you have ever been pushed beyond breaking point, you’ll know him. If you live in an agreeable world free of misery, you’ll know him, just not as well as others. What makes him such a stranger to us is that he’s unpredictable. He may show himself even if you don’t want him to. He will draw you in and make you regret it. He will make you feel so good and so bad simultaneously. He could be your greatest ally in a war of revenge, however, he would be your only ally, as he would chase away everyone around you. He is the part of us that derides others in an attempt to satisfy ourselves only for us to realize moments later that we have made someone’s life more painful than it needs to be. We try to hide him, cage him, bury him, but he’s there, living in all of us.
Is It Worth It?
We all have a dark side to ourselves. It draws us in through petty acts that give us a taste of the exhilaration, accompanied by little consequence, which leaves us wanting more. However we soon learn that the pain outweighs the pleasure, as the consequences grow larger with the magnitude of our actions. The guilt we experience, for thinking or doing something that has a negative impact on someone else, is so great that ultimately the few moments of pleasure are lost within the shame and dissatisfaction. As much as we think revenge will satisfy us, the truth is it can’t. The expectation of the satisfaction we will get from our revenge becomes so great that no amount of pain we inflict can ever fulfill the expectation we have created. In giving into the dark side of ourselves we set ourselves up for disappointment. One can’t achieve happiness for oneself through inflicting pain on others. We know giving into our dark side won’t give us the contentment we are looking for so why do we do it? Are the consequences, self-destruction, dissatisfaction, guilt and shame all worth those few moments of pleasure?
We now move into a space that explores the ordinary vs. the extraordinary.
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It’s Not My Problem (Pencil, 675mm x 775mm) Modern day society is fast moving and to keep up we have become slaves to time. Our lives revolve around being in a particular place at the specific time. This results in a state of self-absorption and a lack of awareness of those around us. We no longer have time to concern ourselves with other people’s problems. This is specifically seen in people’s responses to homeless people and beggars. The irony is, the homeless person has time to be more aware and to acknowledge others. Homeless people witness and experience extraordinary things on the streets giving them an understanding of the world that is deeper than most people can imagine or will ever experience. |
Mirror, Mirror, on the wall - who’s the blindest of them all?
People are so ordinary! It’s our emotional being that is extraordinary - specifically the contrast between awareness and self-absorption. Some of us have become so preoccupied in our own lives and schedules that we don’t acknowledge the people and world around us, sometimes to the extent of not even seeing them. We are more concerned with our own reflection and position in society than with others.
There are, however, some of us who are on the other side of this emotional spectrum. Here, we see through the clouded self-absorption with an awareness of the world around us and see it with clear sight through the eyes of an insightful observer, seeing beyond our own ambitions and desires. We do not see our own reflection but rather others seeing theirs. One way glass, black marker pen, wood, metal, paint.
Which side do you stand on?
People are so ordinary! It’s our emotional being that is extraordinary - specifically the contrast between awareness and self-absorption. Some of us have become so preoccupied in our own lives and schedules that we don’t acknowledge the people and world around us, sometimes to the extent of not even seeing them. We are more concerned with our own reflection and position in society than with others.
There are, however, some of us who are on the other side of this emotional spectrum. Here, we see through the clouded self-absorption with an awareness of the world around us and see it with clear sight through the eyes of an insightful observer, seeing beyond our own ambitions and desires. We do not see our own reflection but rather others seeing theirs. One way glass, black marker pen, wood, metal, paint.
Which side do you stand on?
Viewers guide to viewing:
Self-absorbed viewers may enjoy the sight of their own reflection as well as an agenda sure to keep you entertained with the finest self-absorbed characters the world has to offer.
Insightful observers may enjoy a view from the other side. Here you can enjoy a state of awareness through observing others absorbed in themselves.
Self-absorbed viewers may enjoy the sight of their own reflection as well as an agenda sure to keep you entertained with the finest self-absorbed characters the world has to offer.
Insightful observers may enjoy a view from the other side. Here you can enjoy a state of awareness through observing others absorbed in themselves.
