Combatting Propaganda....

My artwork usually starts with a thought or idea about something I really feel strongly about, and want to make a comment on.

When I first started to come up with the concept for my new piece 'The Future is Unwritten', I was thinking about advertising and consumer culture.  How in contemporary society we are constantly being sent subliminal messages about what to buy, and how to live our lives.  Advertising is propaganda!

I wanted to create an artwork which offered an alternative to the messages we are so accustomed to receiving everyday.  I wanted to create slogans and messages which ask us to be individual and not just follow advertising instruction, which ask us to be creative in the way we live our lives.  

This piece was a message to myself aswell!  As much as anything the slogans I've used are to remind me to follow my heart and instinct.

'The Future is Unwritten' was showcased at the 11:11 exhibition at East Gallery, 214 Brick Lane.  It opened last Thursday 16th and is open until June 23rd - so you still have a chance to go and see the work and the work of all the other 21 artists in the show.

The opening for the 11:11 exhibition was brilliant, really busy.  Curated by Infinity Bunce, Russell Chater and Richard Stone the show was really well put together with some interesting pieces from the 22 artists involved.  Thankyou very much to the curators for inviting me to take part!

Other artists include:  Rich Simmons, David Bray, Infinity Bunce, John Cake & Darren Neave, Russell Chater, Lorraine Clarke, John Doe, Chris Koning, Josie McKoy, Ben Oakley, Adrian Pritchard, Rugman, Schoony, SNUB23, Christopher Steadman, Richard Stone, The Krah, Lex Thomas, Mimei Thompson, Twinkle Troughton.

Twinkle exhibited her piece 'Prayers over the white cliffs of Dover'.  You can read more about her piece on her blog here

I have been working on 'The Future is Unwritten' for over a year, so it was brilliant to finally see it all together.  I think it will be a piece of work that evolves and changes as I add more slogans to it.  I left the exhibition wondering whether it really does 'Combat Propaganda'....I wonder how people actually perceived the piece?  In the end I decided that whatever the outcome, I'm glad that I am putting artworks into the world that do attempt to do so!

xxx