Progress
What is the half-life of your latest idea?
Opaque
Lack of transparency may be an indicator of lack of integrity.
Depressed
Depression is a lonely place - some try to express their feelings to the world via social media - only to be swallowed up by the quagmire of others indifference to any world outside of their own.
Secret
Society pressurises us to keep our inner pain a secret for to reveal it may put us 'on trial'...
Tunnel Vision
The ability to see beyond the problem is difficult when you perceive yourself to be part of it.
Kinetic
The percussive effect of the stone striking the Piezo element generates a small electrical voltage sufficient to momentarily flash 2 Light Emitting Diodes.
360
Keeping your 'Minds Eye' wide open, scanning the horizon for creative inspiration.
The 'Auto-Cutter' for...
The objective of this piece is to shock people into thinking more deeply about self-harm and the reasons for it.
Defaced
Outer beauty defaced by inner pain.
Handout
I have tried to sum up some of the key labels that are applied to begging.
Addict
There are many casualties left in the wake of the struggle to be beautiful to others.
Exit
'Numb' by Linkin Park sums up the pressure and rejection that teenagers (and older) can feel and internalise - they can end up becoming involved in gangs, self harming and some may commit suicide as they cannot see any other way out. The cultural and media backdrop of our age can ignite and fuel...
Execution
Terrorism and gang culture has become a regular story thread in the entertainment industry. What we are presented with can never match the gruesome reality. See my other pieces in this series for further information.
Snitch
The union with the 'Gang' is broken if the member turns informant. Retribution will follow.
Another of my 'Gang' series please see 'Initiation' and 'Murked' for further information.
Murked
I'm going to quote Adam Riches from his work 'Trophies' as he sums up my thoughts exactly -
"Im interested in the idea that we've become desensitised to images of death. How ever I do believe that our level of desensitisation differs, depending on who the bodies belong to"
This work...
Initiation
Many juveniles join gangs at a very young age. Gang membership gives them a sense of 'belonging' and through the 'union' with other members also offers protection and security.
Gang membership often requires some kind of initiation - usually violent and unpleasant, which the initiate has to undergo...
Cut (no.2)
'Cutting' is often practiced by teenagers seeking to express their inner pain.
This is a re-work of an earlier version that I was not happy with, and seeking to improve upon.
Have a nice day...
Cause - Effect. War and conflict are oft reduced to superficial social media interactions which subvert true understanding of the losses and suffering involved.
Smiling Assassin
I wanted to illustrate a new take on the old saying "The pen is mightier than the sword"
Tangle
It's not until the mess has been untangled that connections and motives become clear. Sometimes the tangle is deliberate to prevent exposure, sometimes it is the result of neglect or inaction.
Happy Christmas
Christmas will be just another day and meaningless to many who have had their lives upturned by war & conflict
Background
Our world and beyond is swamped with human generated electronic detritus.
Huge (and ever increasing) numbers of us are generating an aura of electronic noise around ourselves through the mobile devices that we carry and most of us are not even aware of it. The use of these devices has become part...
Catch
Popular culture meets popular culture - fluffy with a bit of violence thrown in.
Icons
Just been visiting grandads grave (R.I.P.), now watching the umpteenth repeat of an old war film (G.B. winning of course) whilst using my tablet to post messages on social media... Confused? - I am.
Alien
Parasite: An organism that lives off or in another organism, obtaining nourishment and protection while offering no benefit in return
Mutation
Social media is influencing and addicting an ever younger audience.
Presence
This is the outcome of my earlier 'Doppler Dabblings'
• ‘PRESENCE’ detects movement and converts it into sound.
• This installation uses a Doppler Radar module (as used in automatic door openers and intruder alarms), the output pulses from the radar are fed into amplifier...
Self-Defence
Knifes have been carried as weapons for centuries - how long will it take for this culture to change?
Doppler dabblings
Messing around with a Doppler Radar Module to test it's potential for use in an installation - it has a very low output which is challenging my limited knowledge of electronics, however experiments continue.
Souls 1/-
What would the world be like now if they had not taken the 'Kings Shilling'?
Overthrow
When words run out many turn to violence to bring about the changes they desire.
O.H.M.S.
On His/Her Majesty's Service. How will awards evolve? What form will 'recognition' take in the future as a result of Social Media?
Adoration of the Emoji
How will social media effect our future beliefs?
Secrets
Secrets beget secrets - what happens if they are exposed?
Influence
A thought or idea will be skewed by the environment & ecology into which it is introduced.
Anomaly
How do you identify an anomaly? How do you assess an anomaly and deal with it? I have used 4 round acrylic rods to illustrate normality and 1 square piece as an anomaly, these are mounted on an A5 size piece of black acrylic sheet. (I've tried to photograph it without my reflection, hence the...
Invention
The coloured acrylic rods represent the elements of ideation ( Stimulus, Mental Flow & Creative Environment) the black disk represents the void from which the idea will emerge. The stone represents the ecology into which the invention will be assimilated.
This piece measures approximately 60mm...
Set in Stone
Are your thoughts set in stone? What would cause you to change them?
Creativity
When the fragmented elements of creativity come together to form an idea...
Change
Change is inevitable. We like to demonstrate it through measurement, but sometimes it takes place over many life times and may not be apparent without any comparison.
Parfum de la mort
What does a battlefield smell like?
Stimulus
In response to the percussive effect of tapping the dolls head, a Piezo transducer generates a small electrical charge which is sufficient to illuminate 2 high intensity Light Emitting Diodes. No batteries required!
Twee
Contradiction and Incongruity.
Incentive
Does money mean happiness, fulfilment and contentment - or does it facilitate daily survival?
Empathy
Without empathy there can be no connection.
Wish
Be careful what you wish for...
Refresh
How will future generations refresh our world?
Wilful Ignorance
Turning a blind eye (to domestic violence), Pretending not the hear (the cry for help), Telling half truths (to avoid embarrassment) - What have been the consequences of our wilful ignorance?
Binary Beast
Revelation 13:18 says, “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is 666.”
Brick
What sort of future are you building?
Power
Power through fear and dependency.
Gift
Will the tatty gift of the future reflect the prevailing culture?
Escape
The bullet is used as an irreversible means of escape.
Handout
What is the hidden purpose of aid?
Chariot
What does a child imagine when at play?
Novice
Addiction spans all demographics.
Cut
Self Harm is an outward manifestation of inner pain.
Rescuer
Rescuers are often covert Victims. Karpman Drama Triangle.
Feed Me
Refugees migrate to Europe to escape war & starvation and find a better life, meanwhile the west continues to supply weapons and ammunition to support their chosen sides in the conflicts.
Beautiful
How much influence does the toy industry and the media have upon cultural stereotyping?
Bang! Bang!
Young boys like to play 'war' with pretend guns, imagining that they are firing real bullets.
Prevents Decay
Preserving our way of life...
Fix
Addiction to media induced emotional quick-fixes.
Introversion
I can be found in the kitchen at parties...
Identity crisis
How much influence do toys and the media have upon the mental development of children?
Hit
Drugs, music industry, media, addiction, blah, blah blah... What rocks your boat?
Daggers
Body language - you cannot not communicate.
One look can tell it all...
Still Life
From memories to memorials.
Give an inch...
Old proverb - "Give an inch and they'll take a mile"
Investiture
Forming the mindset towards war and conflict.
Toy
Where does the fantasy end and reality begin?
Shackles
Have we become slaves to our conveniences?
Tags
Bullets used to symbolise the 'End Tag" HTML code, as used in Web authoring.
My Little Phoney
Are toys becoming more violent? Are toys a reflection of societal culture? How far will it go?
Fair Warning
Giving a warning does not absolve you from your responsibility to act fairly and proportionaly.
Meta
Thoughts about thoughts about thoughts... creating an imagined reality.
Inflation
Whilst prices go up, the value of the currency goes down. I suggest you Google 'The Kings Shilling' for an explanation for the use of this coin as a metaphor. The lavish frame represents the boundaries of capitalism. Life can be cheap... Lest we Forget.
Turn-On
Check out the responses to images of the latest killing tech on Instagram. Are guns "Sexy", ''Cool" or "Dope"? What feelings do they elicit in you?
Perfect
Many people in conflict torn countries won't be receiving any opulent gifts.
Obsolescence
It's not the cash in your pocket but your credit rating that determines your ability to make opulent purchases.
Popping
I like to use triangulation for defining ideas and theories.
Hate
Hate is a word oft used by us in frivolous ways, but for others it means discrimination, persecution and extermination.
9mm Hard-On
Neoclassical sex & violence - What will be 'turning you on' when you next watch the TV?
Middle Age Memories No.2
Memories are anchored by various stimuli then reawakened when exposed to the same, often prompting a chain reaction of recollections. I will attempt to produce a series of broadly themed collages reflecting my own memories.
Trajectory
What will be the trajectory of the words you fire? Who will they affect?
Pressure
External pressures often create internal stress levels which take us close to the point of exploding - pay attention to your family and friends because they may need your help.
Middle Age Memories No.1
Memories are anchored by various stimuli then reawakened when exposed to the same, often prompting a chain reaction of recollections. I will attempt to produce a series of broadly themed collages reflecting my own memories.
Seasons Greetings
Society (mirrored by the media) popularises Dictators until reality dawns, the bubble bursts and revolution becomes necessary.
Drowing
Our children are drowning in media violence.
Armour Piercing Thinker
What forbidden thoughts are you harbouring in the ammunition bunker of your mind?
Indoctrination
This 'toy' represents the introduction to the prevailing culture at an early age. It was made up from bits in my 'leftovers' box on a Sunday morning.
Refraction
How much are truth and reality refracted by beliefs and values?
What happens as a result?
Almost Human...
Many people assign Human qualities to their pets and treat them as little Human Beings
Communique
Present day methods of communication.
Cultivation
Cultivating the 'right' sort of memories.
F1 = -F2
Caught up in Newton's Third Law of Motion.
Despot
When the fear of the present is greater than the fear of change then the conditions exist for revolution.
Game
A vivid imagination is your own virtual reality.
Clean-Up
Genocide continues despite the lessons of history.
Pretty
How often do we apply inappropriate descriptions to objects?
Donation
Salvation or subjugation?
Hypotenuse
The mechanics of escalation.
Just Numbers..?
How many people have died in modern conflicts?
What have we learnt or what can we learn from these statistics?
Each digit represents the life of a real person cut short - can their statistical legacy become part of a future salvation?
Idolatry
noun:
the worship of idols.
synonyms: idol worship, idolatrism, fetishism, iconolatry, icon worship;
extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone.
What are you worshipping today?
Slaughter
Assemblage reflecting culture of WW2 versus today.
Cock-Up
Sex and Violence - the cultural choice of millions.
Special Delivery
Exporting violence causes the migration of refugees.
Smile
When you smile at a child is it the same smile you wear when watching the 'baddies' getting killed in the game you're playing?
Cute
Framing alters perception
Rejuvenation
Trying to inhale the culture of the new generation
Donut
Eating donuts is as much a part of our culture as our morbid fascination with Hitler and the war, albeit at opposite ends of the cultural spectrum. We may find ourselves eating donuts whilst watching a film on the TV of the allies winning the war all over again. Bringing both ‘popular’...
Please give generously
What does your generosity lead to?
Check Out
Conflict, Suffering, Money...
Take your Shot
The problem is defined by which side you're on.
Choices
Revolution and Insurgency force stark choices.