Both these pieces are looking at examples of pop culture from my youth that had a profound impact on how I was coming to see the world. Back in the 1980s, it felt like nerd culture was where writers/directors could corrupt youthful minds with their subversive stories, all cleverly disguised in what was considered throwaway media for kids. For example, I was 11 years old when I first read Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta (first published in the short-lived UK comic: Warrior), and like Star Wars, the line between terrorist and freedom fighter was being challenged in my pre-teen brain - I’m not sure where teenagers nowadays are getting their healthy dose of rebellion and counterculture.

About the Work

My aim was to deface a piece that took time/effort to create.  Being around graffiti, in all its forms, rewires your brain; you start seeing the beauty in what most people dismiss as ugly vandalism.  It’s an interesting space to consider, connecting back to destruction as an act of creativity.

Perhaps I’ll experiment with digital projection in the future, or extend the series into street pieces, but for now, both paintings have been consigned to storage.