So I began developing my ideas further, exploring notions of public outcry and protest against governmental control, law and prejudice. My work is more specifically targetted at the recent. and personally very impactful, BLM protests in America, and all across the world.
My work is inspired by the work of Edgar Heap of Birds, and his clear and impactful phrases and words. They are bold and strike deep in the heart of the viewer, while still allowing their minds to fill in the blanks, ad the context. Often his work is tailored to a specific event, without ever naming it. This is the same approach I took in my work.
William Pope's artistic style is also very inspiring and has a gritty quality which makes it incredibly impactful to the viewer. I tried to capture the uncomfortable effect that his work creates, as well as the confrontational and bold scheme of colour and texture. These are some examples of his work:
And these are my responses:
Both feel gritty, challenging and confrontational to the status quo while maintaining a distance which lets viewers fill in the context and question the artwork. The bold colour and marks help accentuate this. The latter is formed from a quote from Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This poem is personal and targets the highest orders of society for the way they believe they are above even nature itself, and rule over those who are deemed inferior. It felt particularly relevant in recent times.