When 12 Take the Knee Painting

This Summer, on 13th June, I went to watch England vs. Croatia at Wembley. Just before kick-off, the England players paused to take the knee. I stood and applauded. So did my friends. But in front of us three men started booing and jeering. It was miserable. Thankfully, my friend Jack sprang into action. He lent forward and challenged the three men. He asked what they were doing. He asked if they thought they were clever. And all the while he applauded them sarcastically. The three men said nothing. Not only were they silent for the first half, they didn't return for the second. After the game finished, I left the stadium with contrasting emotions. I was proud to have a friend who demonstrated anti-racism so instinctively and so fearlessly. But I felt awful that I hadn't done anything and it bothered me. After that day, I've had a growing desire to express something. It wasn't something I could express in words. But I had a feeling I would be able to capture it in a painting. So I painted this piece, and called it: 'When 12 Take the Knee'. In football the '12th man' is often referred to as the crowd, and the painting is also symbolically split across 12 canvases. I wanted the painting to be bold and colourful and I wanted it to express the beauty and power of the taking of knee. I also wanted the painting to be alive & relentless. That's why every canvas can be rotated or switched with another. I've had some help with the maths, and I have it on good authority the painting has quadrillions of configurations. That means you could rotate or switch a canvas every day, and it would take 1000s of years before you had the same combination twice. (Flip your phone upside down you'll see the painting working in a new way). The painting was exhibited at The Brick Lane Gallery in November 2021 as part of the Art in Mind exhibition.