Common Struggle II
Artist Statement
MUCH OF MY WORK COMMENTS ON THE REPRESSION OF ANGER IN INDIVIDUALS, THE PERVERSE EXPRESSION OF ANGER THROUGH VIOLENCE AND ITS SYSTEMATIC SUPPRESSION. EVIDENTLY THERE ARE SOCIALLY SANCTIONED FORMS OF BRUTALITY, SUCH AS THAT EXERCISED BY THE MILITARY AND THE POLICE, AND NON-SOCIALLY SANCTIONED FORMS, SUCH AS THOSE EXHIBITED BY THE MAFIA,STREET GANGS AND BIKERS. MY WORK CONCERNS ITSELF WITH THE HYPOCRISY SURROUNDING THESE DISTINCTIONS AND THE ROLE THE MEDIA PLAYS IN REINFORCING THEM. CURIOUSLY, SOCIALLY SANCTIONED FORMS OF VIOLENCE (ESPECIALLY THOSE DIRECTED AT MINORITIES) ARE OFTEN SUPPRESSED WHILE THE MEDIA HAVE A FEEDING FRENZY ON THE LATEST SERIAL KILLING.
WORKS SUCH AS THE SILHOUETTE PAINTINGS DRAG HIM AROUND THE FLOOR BY HIS NECK WITH A CHAIN AND YOU HOLD HIM AND I'LL SMASH HIM WITH A PIPE (BOTH 1998) ALLUDE TO THE SPECTACLE OF EXCESSIVE VIOLENCE. A SERIES OF SILKSCREEN ON WOOD PAINTINGS, ENTITLED COMMON STRUGGLE (2000), TACKLES SOME OF THE SAME ISSUES. THE PAINTINGS, BASED ON PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES, DEPICT FEMALE FIGURES ENGAGED IN FIGHTING. IN EACH WORK, A SINGLE MOMENT HAS BEEN LIFTED FROM A CONTINUUM OF BATTLE GESTURES AND POSES, MUCH LIKE FRANCES BACON'S WRESTLERS OR EDWARD MUYBRIDGE'S ANIMAL LOCOMOTION SERIES. CHANGING THE GENDER (AND CERTAINLY THE DRESS CODE) OF THE SUBJECTS TO RESEMBLE SUPER-MODELS RATHER THAN STREETFIGHTERS REINFORCES HOW THE MEDIA CONTRIBUTES TO THE SPECTACLE OF VIOLENCE.
OTHER WORKS SUCH AS TEN COMMANDMENTS WRENCH SET (1997) AND THE INSTRUCTIONAL BATS SERIES (2000) JUXTAPOSE WEAPONS COMMONLY USED IN STREET COMBAT WITH TEXT EVOKING MAINSTREAM BEHAVIORAL CODES (BOTH RELIGIOUS AND INSTITUTIONAL). THE WRENCH SET WORK SUGGESTS SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND THE RULES OF CONDUCT FOR A GANG OR SUB-CULTURE, AND WHILE PHRASES SUCH AS 'PUNISH ONE TEACH A HUNDRED' ARE RECEIVED WISDOM IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES,THEY TAKE ON OTHER CONNOTATIONS WHEN INSCRIBED ON A BASEBALL BAT.
THE REFLECTIVE SURFACES ARE INTENDED TO PROMOTE A SELF-REFLEXIVE VIEWING EXPERIENCE. VIEWERS CANNOT HELP BUT IDENTIFY THEMSELVES IN THE SHINY SURFACE OF THE WORK, ALLOWING FOR A PLAY OF DESIRE, REPRESSION AND CORRUPTION. VIEWERS ARE NATURALLY (AND NARCISSISTICALLY) DRAWN TO THEIR OWN IMAGE; YET, SEEING ANYTHING UNFLATTERING OR NEGATIVE REFLECTED BACK AT THEM - EITHER IN THEMSELVES OR IN THEIR SURROUNDINGS - THEY SUPPRESS THEIR IMPULSE TO LOOK. IN THE CONTEXT OF MY OTHER WORK THESE WORKS MIGHT SERVE AS A METAPHOR FOR HOW OUR SOCIETY DEALS WITH VIOLENCE AND NEGATIVITY: MOMENTARY IDENTIFICATION IS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY REPRESSION AND/OR SUBLIMINATION. OR, IF ONE PREFERS, THEY CAN BE SIMPLY REGARDED WITHIN THE HISTORY OF MODERNIST PAINTING - AS SELF CONSCIOUS HARD-EDGE ABSTRACTION.
MUCH OF MY WORK COMMENTS ON THE REPRESSION OF ANGER IN INDIVIDUALS, THE PERVERSE EXPRESSION OF ANGER THROUGH VIOLENCE AND ITS SYSTEMATIC SUPPRESSION. EVIDENTLY THERE ARE SOCIALLY SANCTIONED FORMS OF BRUTALITY, SUCH AS THAT EXERCISED BY THE MILITARY AND THE POLICE, AND NON-SOCIALLY SANCTIONED FORMS, SUCH AS THOSE EXHIBITED BY THE MAFIA,STREET GANGS AND BIKERS. MY WORK CONCERNS ITSELF WITH THE HYPOCRISY SURROUNDING THESE DISTINCTIONS AND THE ROLE THE MEDIA PLAYS IN REINFORCING THEM. CURIOUSLY, SOCIALLY SANCTIONED FORMS OF VIOLENCE (ESPECIALLY THOSE DIRECTED AT MINORITIES) ARE OFTEN SUPPRESSED WHILE THE MEDIA HAVE A FEEDING FRENZY ON THE LATEST SERIAL KILLING.
WORKS SUCH AS THE SILHOUETTE PAINTINGS DRAG HIM AROUND THE FLOOR BY HIS NECK WITH A CHAIN AND YOU HOLD HIM AND I'LL SMASH HIM WITH A PIPE (BOTH 1998) ALLUDE TO THE SPECTACLE OF EXCESSIVE VIOLENCE. A SERIES OF SILKSCREEN ON WOOD PAINTINGS, ENTITLED COMMON STRUGGLE (2000), TACKLES SOME OF THE SAME ISSUES. THE PAINTINGS, BASED ON PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES, DEPICT FEMALE FIGURES ENGAGED IN FIGHTING. IN EACH WORK, A SINGLE MOMENT HAS BEEN LIFTED FROM A CONTINUUM OF BATTLE GESTURES AND POSES, MUCH LIKE FRANCES BACON'S WRESTLERS OR EDWARD MUYBRIDGE'S ANIMAL LOCOMOTION SERIES. CHANGING THE GENDER (AND CERTAINLY THE DRESS CODE) OF THE SUBJECTS TO RESEMBLE SUPER-MODELS RATHER THAN STREETFIGHTERS REINFORCES HOW THE MEDIA CONTRIBUTES TO THE SPECTACLE OF VIOLENCE.
OTHER WORKS SUCH AS TEN COMMANDMENTS WRENCH SET (1997) AND THE INSTRUCTIONAL BATS SERIES (2000) JUXTAPOSE WEAPONS COMMONLY USED IN STREET COMBAT WITH TEXT EVOKING MAINSTREAM BEHAVIORAL CODES (BOTH RELIGIOUS AND INSTITUTIONAL). THE WRENCH SET WORK SUGGESTS SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND THE RULES OF CONDUCT FOR A GANG OR SUB-CULTURE, AND WHILE PHRASES SUCH AS 'PUNISH ONE TEACH A HUNDRED' ARE RECEIVED WISDOM IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES,THEY TAKE ON OTHER CONNOTATIONS WHEN INSCRIBED ON A BASEBALL BAT.
THE REFLECTIVE SURFACES ARE INTENDED TO PROMOTE A SELF-REFLEXIVE VIEWING EXPERIENCE. VIEWERS CANNOT HELP BUT IDENTIFY THEMSELVES IN THE SHINY SURFACE OF THE WORK, ALLOWING FOR A PLAY OF DESIRE, REPRESSION AND CORRUPTION. VIEWERS ARE NATURALLY (AND NARCISSISTICALLY) DRAWN TO THEIR OWN IMAGE; YET, SEEING ANYTHING UNFLATTERING OR NEGATIVE REFLECTED BACK AT THEM - EITHER IN THEMSELVES OR IN THEIR SURROUNDINGS - THEY SUPPRESS THEIR IMPULSE TO LOOK. IN THE CONTEXT OF MY OTHER WORK THESE WORKS MIGHT SERVE AS A METAPHOR FOR HOW OUR SOCIETY DEALS WITH VIOLENCE AND NEGATIVITY: MOMENTARY IDENTIFICATION IS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY REPRESSION AND/OR SUBLIMINATION. OR, IF ONE PREFERS, THEY CAN BE SIMPLY REGARDED WITHIN THE HISTORY OF MODERNIST PAINTING - AS SELF CONSCIOUS HARD-EDGE ABSTRACTION.