shardcore » Congregation

The General and The Grunt

shardcore — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:35:05 +0000

I updated these two for Congregation 2010

“The Minotaur of Greek mythology was the result of the union of Pasiphae and a bull. He dwelt inside the labyrinth and devoured anyone who entered. Here the minotaur is presented as an Army General – you can draw your own conclusions.

I have painted this diptych in a deliberately cartoonish style to underline the sense of displacement between our perceptions of war delivered via the media, and the horror of reality.”

“This painting was first produced for MASS in 2008, and shown alongside The General as a response to the senseless, illegal wars being fought in our name.

It’s two years later, we have a hung parliament, we’re still at war – so much for the democratic process.”

Looking for the Light (2010)

shardcore — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:29:38 +0000

acrylic on canvas 762mm x 1062mm

For some people the very act of contemplation results in even greater uncertainty. Perhaps some truths simply cannot be found by inward reflection alone.

Future Self (2010)

shardcore — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:26:47 +0000

acrylic on canvas 762mm x 1062mm

Each of us will die, that much is certain. However, our feelings about what happens next are the subject of much debate.

As an atheist, I have no problem accepting the cessation of my consciousness and subsequent decay of my body into it’s constituent elements.

Yet, there’s something primeval about our response of seeing a skeleton – a deep-seated fear of mortality, a calling from the limbic system.

How one choses to rationalise that response perhaps tells us a great deal about questions of faith.

Pixellated Self (2010)

shardcore — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:22:17 +0000

Finally getting around to uploading my paintings for Congregation 2010. Here’s the first of two self portraits.

acrylic on canvas 762mm x 1062mm

Part of my reasoning behind assuming the pseudonym ‘shardcore’ was provide a fresh identity, unfettered by past (mis)deeds. An identity solely concerned with artistic experimentation.

However, shardcore inhabits the same physical shell as my ‘other’ identity, and my face remains a visual conduit between the two realms.
This painting is an investigation into this conduit, recognisably me to those who know me, but opaque to those who don’t.

Pride (2009)

shardcore — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:28:19 +0000

In contemporary society, pride occupies a strange place betwixt vice and virtue. More often we talk of being ‘proud of who we are’ or ‘proud of our achievements’ in virtuous terms rather than admonishing others for their prideful behaviour.

Jade Goody came to prominence through her appearance on Big Brother, primarily through her profound ignorance. Yet she was clever enough to build a ‘career’ as a ‘celebrity’ and return to our screens in ‘Celebrity Big Brother in 2007. Her shocking racist bullying of her housemate Shilpa Shetty horrified the nation, and saw her rapidly fall from glory – a case where her pride was quite rightly perceived as a sin.

I found her subsequent return tabloid glory, by dint of her illness even more disillusioning than her original rise to fame.

Kindness (2009)

shardcore — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:21:33 +0000

As part of my collaboration with Sam Hewitt on the subject of sins and virtues, I have painted my daughter, with her cat Wolfgang for the virtue of ‘kindness’

Kindness is the ultimate social lubricant. Tenderness and concern for others and the world at large is highly prized, in a study of 37 cultures around the world, 16000 subjects were asked about their most desired traits in a mate. For both sexes, the first preference was kindness (the second was intelligence)

Unlike many of the other virtues, kindness appears innate. The adult world of cruelty and egotism makes little sense to a child. It is only with age that we become hardened to the self-centered behaviour of others, and as a result begin to repress the kindness which we produced so readily as children.

Congregation Launch Party

shardcore — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:31:14 +0000

A little video to give you a taste of the Congregation launch party.

Congregation

shardcore — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:21:16 +0000

I’m pleased to announce that Congregation will be open to the public from 10:30am on Monday 4th May.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Patience

shardcore — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 10:36:32 +0000

A painting of Gilly, being patient with Edie, while playing with Donald Ducks.

Chastity (2009)

shardcore — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:00:49 +0000

Chastity is a pretty unpopular virtue. Outside of the seminary, there are few humans who choose the role of sexual abstinence. Though I’m told it’s popular these days amongst a certain subset of American teenagers.

I have painted Morrissey, who up until quite recently, publicly at least, claimed to lead a chaste life: “I’m just simply inches away from a monastery,” he once quipped.

Once again the silver paint has freaked out my camera – I shall have to invest in a polarizing filter…