What Is Truth? Painting

Painting: Mixed media,acrylic paint, marker pen, ephemera on canvas “The old man turned off the radio Said, "Where did all of the old songs go Kids sure play funny music these days They play it in the strangest ways" Said, ‘it looks to me like they've all gone wild It was peaceful back when I was a child’ Well, man, could it be that the girls and boys Are trying to be heard above your noise? And the lonely voice of youth cries ‘What is truth?’” (Johnny Cash “What Is Truth?) ORIGINAL PAINTING/MIXED MEDIA It’s in our nature as humans to remember the “good” times but as another wise poet once said “the times, they are a’changing.” During the 21st century we have also more than ever before learnt that TRUTH is often the first casualty in any conflict. Staying true to ourselves is the first step to maintaining our sanity. I am an illustrator of ideas. Controlled chaos, humour and surprise are all merged in my mixed media works Often appearing playful at first, my works endeavour to visually express my understanding about existence in the 21st century and references to the past. My work aims to examine society’s lusts and desire with fortune and fame and, consequentially, to highlight our insecurities. Using mixed media and paint allows me to combine recognizable figures from all walks of life, iconographic or cartoon characters with other seemingly mundane objects or paper. Through this, I attempt to expose the dark reality behind the glossy facade. The images and media used often act as a representation of a consumer-driven dream world behind which lies layers of a more brutal reality. This work is inspired by the works of Joseph Cornell, Max Ernst and Nick Bantock. I look toward artists prepared to do the unexpected, to push the envelope or include images or concepts, sometimes totally unrelated, to arrive at a final work. As a result, there is always a sense of spontaneity and urgency when constructing my mixed media works. Following my first instincts gives me the best results. My goal always is to construct interesting and challenging images which draws the viewer inward