Print: Split With The Alienation (version) / Disconnecting online / Apolitical art?

RTomens, 2021

Hey, I'm living the dream - whose dream, I don't know - mince pie, coffee, Trojan records on the turntable and making art whilst outside the grey, wet day gradually darkens...

This print is the first version. There's another, more colour-soaked one, but I have a fondness for no.1 because it isn't colourful and makes use of the torn page photo that's been overlaid. We have ideal worlds, then reality. Or rather, ideal worlds as far as a piece of art is concerned and the way it turns out. The figure wasn't meant to be rough around the edges, but since I couldn't fix it I went with it. Normally blobbiness would annoy the hell out of me, just as it does in paintings by 'famous' artists. Away with your blobs! Constructivism, on the other hand, rarely contains one tiny blob yet often retains marks of the casual hand regarding edges. That's one reason I love it. 

Despite today's supposed connectivity many people remain alienated. Perhaps they take one look at all that connecting and it horrifies them. They may be miserable a lot of the time but 'connecting' with strangers online isn't desirable. I talked to someone recently who wanted nothing to do with social media. Although she didn't say so, I suspect it's because of all the hate flowing around on various platforms. I could see her point if that was the case. After all, it's easy to attract a mob with bad intentions, I imagine, although I think you have to already have a lot of followers to do so. Not much danger of it happening to me. 

I've met some good people online. A few. And some bad ones. I'll rephrase that. Some who proved a little...overenthusiastic in their desire to...make a point, politically...if you get my meaning. As you know, expressing opinions online is...er...fine? Except that the people with opposite opinions will then only read what you say and make massive assumptions about you as a person. Suddenly, we are what we write, not how we live, think, feel etc. 

What connects us, also serves to disconnect just as easily. 

Art is relatively safe, at least. I mean, unless it expresses a political opinion. Mine, you will have noticed, does not. That said, I may suggest a few things...if you squint and read between the lines, they are readable. Whenever I 'say something' it's not about specific party politics and more about...society? Which in turn if often Political, I know. Well, anything can be Political if you want to wear those glasses. 

Perhaps making as many images as I do is a statement about alienation. After all, I could be...chatting to someone? Making phone calls? Out and about talking to people? Making may be a solitary business, but I hope mine neither alienates too many viewers (some it will, yes) nor makes me too alienated from society.