Captain K Painting

Homepage: INSTAGRAM: E-mail: My parents always told me about safety rules, as a result I have got into the habit of always checking them everywhere I go. For instance, I always check safety guides when I take a plane or I always search for the location of emergency hammers on public transport or checking fire exits in a public place. My family said that safety first is the most important consideration in our lives. This rule sometimes creates a feeling of great pressure for me. I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) when I was a child and these health and safety rules have manifest in my condition and have sometimes dominated my behaviour. However, in my art practice I have been able to distance myself from this by discussing and observing the humour in this subject matter. I didn't really understand the importance of safety rules in our lives when I was younger, but as I get older and become more aware of issues of terrorism and global catastrophes, I can appreciate the relevance of them. More recently I lived in Dublin in Ireland for a year and I was interested in the habit of many Irish residents who used the phrase 'home safety' instead of the more usual words such as 'good bye' and see you later'. It made me think of the contrast of the familiar and the strange. I began noticing more and more news reporting global terrorism and I realised the importance of safety in modern society and the importance of feeling safe. Hi-Vis jackets and wearing of the jacket is the easiest way to protect ourselves in contemporary world. I think of them as modern armour. But, there is a problem with that: the colour whilst protecting you by making you noticeable can also be its weakness by turning you into a Hi-Vis target with inadequate protection in terms of the physical The colour has a duality and this is its point of interest. My work is an ironic observation of the attributes of protective clothing and also its strange effect of creating invisibility by homogenising all those uniformed in such attire, as they cease to be observed as individuals. This phenomenon can be seen as a reflection on the indifference of modern society to the individual whilst attempting to protect them.