Modern Culture
Introduction
Many of my paintings and prints have been inspired by observations of modern culture. This short essay introduces some examples.
Consumerism as a Religion
I confess to being drawn to consumerism as a suitable subject matter for my jaundiced eye. I have spent hours observing people shopping with an almost religious fervor in modern temples devoted to STUFF.
Everything Must Go, 2024, 40.5 cm x 30.5 cm, Giclée on Hahnemühle German Etching paper
Thirst Knows No Reason, 2024, 40.5 cm x 30.5 cm, Giclée on Hahnemühle German Etching paper
Advertising and Signage
Piccadilly Circus has always been a treasure trove of advertising imagery that led to work such as this painted construction.
Alone at the Circus, 2021, 103 cm x 103 cm x 4 cm, oil on wood
The next one is a painted construction that incorporates signage.
All Around the World, 2020, 175 cm x 175 cm x 5 cm, oil on wood
Coffee
Pass along any English high street, walk through any shopping precinct, and what do you see?
The State We’re In, 122 cm x 137 cm, 2019, oil on MDF
Reach For the Stars, 2018, 92 cm x 122 cm, oil on MDF
Social Media
Instagram has a lot to answer for, like these paintings.
The Influencer, and the Baggage of the Beauty Business, 72 cm x 72 cm x 5 cm, oil on wood, 2021
Optabulous, 73 cm x 73 cm x 5 cm, oil on wood, 2021
The Consumption of Art
Pictures at an Exhibition, 2018, 122 cm x 244 cm, oil on MDF
Several paintings, particularly my current work, are focused on those immersed in viewing art and artifacts. In other words these are examples of Meta-Art.
I have visited countless museums, galleries, and studios, here in Britain and overseas. Yet, I’m increasingly of the view that art’s commodification has engulfed modern culture. Fortunately, I can plead not guilty to the charge of biting the hand that feeds me, and so it has become a major focus of my recent work.
Conclusion
It’s been said that we get the culture we deserve. I think it’s more a case of we make the culture what it is. My own contribution is negligible. Yet being a modern painter is, by default, a way of expressing what that culture means. Of course, some of it is diabolically bad. Twas ever thus, but not all of it deserves opprobrium. So although I often cast a cynical eye across my environment, I must confess to finding a degree of visual attraction to some of it. I guess that’s a good example of the human condition – we love what we hate.
Daniel Defoe once wrote:
“Today we love what tomorrow we hate,
today we seek what tomorrow we shun,
today we desire what tomorrow we fear,
nay, even tremble at the apprehensions of.”