Guerrilla print on canvas 2017 Throwing Stones: Paradoxical Freedoms
Guerrilla print on canvas 2017 Throwing Stones: Paradoxical Freedoms
Guerrilla print on canvas 2017 Throwing Stones: Paradoxical Freedoms
Guerrilla print on canvas 2017 Throwing Stones: Paradoxical Freedoms
Guerrilla print on canvas 2017 Throwing Stones: Paradoxical Freedoms
Mixed media 2017 Throwing Stones: Paradoxical Freedoms
Throwing Stones: Paradoxical Freedoms
The work deals with the idea of freedoms and the paradoxical nature of freedom, where one person’s freedom is not another’s freedom. Being a grapheme synaesthete, which means that I associate letters of the alphabet with colour, I use my synaesthetic alphabet of colour as a critical colour palate and coding device in my artworks.
The concept for this exhibition is inspired by the idea of freedoms and what being free means. It consists of seven ‘freedom fighters’ and their supposed ‘anti-freedom’ counterparts, represented as silkscreened figures on Fabriano paper, with one of their speeches dealing with freedom hand-cut from the paper. The idea being that although the person, is gone from the world, their ideas/words still hold meaning and that we should remember the past and the lessons it taught us.
Overlaying each of these pages is a separate page of tracing paper, on which a quote from the speech has been written in my own synaesthetic alphabet. These read as blocks of colour, however a key to deciphering the meaning of the quote will be provided in the artwork, for the viewer to discover.
My work often deals with freedom, synaesthesia and the counter-culture, anti-establishment artists from the 60s and 70s, particularly the musicians. This exhibition will be no different. Across from the pages discussed above, are colourful silkscreened images each referring to one of the freedom figures opposite them. The colours are chosen according to my synaesthetic alphabet and together they spell out the name of the exhibition: Throwing Stones. Each of these prints has a song linked to it, the lyrics running around the side of the canvas. A quote from the lyric is painted in my synaesthetic colours, providing the key to deciphering the coloured blocks.
An artist’s book forms part of this exhibition, and when read provides insight into the connections between the prints, the speeches and the songs.
Although rock music is seen as wild and unruly and the leaders of freedom are seen as stern and stoic, in fact they all have something in common…their belief in fighting for freedom. The title of the exhibition ‘Throwing Stones’ is a pun not only on the saying that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, but also on the band, the Rolling Stones.