This is my love and hate of London. I think in the current cultural status that London has been warped into a certain degree of falsity that hides the darker undertone. Being the capital it stands for so much and I feel it relies too much on bringing in an external flood of people and business. Growing up just outside London there was always a draw to go there but I feel this has died out since living in Sheffield. It's ugly and dark with only a few rays of light keeping up what London should be seen as. Considering the violence, security risks, drug culture and general uncleanliness I created this piece as the personal battle in my mind about London's facade.
I used a large number of techniques including collage, paint, wax stick, pen, pencil, spray paint and sealing wax to represent a multi layered aesthetic to London.
Close up on the top part of the piece. I tried to show a "smog" in colour, rather than just a murky grey to show a certain amount of confusion and clash of ideals. This is the fight in my mind between good and bad. Small things like a hot air balloon can represent freedom but coupled with the copy I have written makes it contradictory. The colours were also vital. The red is a strong signifier for violence and danger. I've tried to lighten it, but not totally block it out, by using a really light pressure on my white spray.
This is a close up of the "sewers". I've tried to present a very dark underground system here, representing a very dark undercurrent to the city. The sealing wax i've used was incredibly good for creating a slime that would be found in the sewage system. My copy again is a record of my thoughts
"I think the rats are better off. So much rubbish to thrive on. So much crap. So much violence. I'm surprised there are no vultures feeding on the bloodshed"
Method photo of the application of the sealing wax. It's a really versatile tool and one that I will contintue to use.
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