Community Painting

Humans are a communal species. It’s a fact. In the past few years I’ve noticed the increasing hostility in the community, and I’m still figuring out whether it’s the times or whether that’s just what it’s like once you’ve settled into being an adult… The veil of everyone putting on a nice front being gone?

 Either way, I find it incredibly ironic. I look at nature a lot and see how they all work together. I was watching some birds that seemed to be on the same team but wouldn’t share the food I threw at them. One was just too dumb to recognise the extra piece it put down was exactly what it’s chasing the other bird for. It’s funny that they’re hopping around together but also protecting their bounty like Gollum and his ring.

It’s like people but I think they’re trying to keep their pride instead of a piece of food. So I painted a bunch of jolly looking birds held together by barbed wire. The original plan was to have feet but it didn’t work out, so I mimicked my ‘Flock Party’ painting and included balloons too. The feathers fly about like they do in a bird fight and the intertwined barbed wire drips blood. This artwork is one of my hand-stretched ones, sold with hooks ready to hang and a certificate of authenticity.