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Crime of Diversity 1885 Print

David Westwood

United Kingdom

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16 x 12 in ($95)

16 x 12 in ($95)

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$230

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ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Oil on Canvas board. 24" by 20" As a gay man who studied Law and History I feel passionately about the suffering of the LGBTQ community during the 19th Century. A time when being different was a crime punishable by, execution or imprisonment and hard labor. What disturbs me most is how quickly we have forgotten and how little compassion we have for the victims of an ignorant law. The painting shows a half man, half woman in the gas lit privacy of a Victorian London home, a policeman comes in through the French windows to enforce the law. Out of the windows we see Parliament that made Diversity a crime, with the Act of Indecency 1885. The aim of the painting is to remind LGBTQ people, what or for-fathers' went though, so we could have the freedoms we do today. This painting has been exhibited a number of times across the United Kingdom and prints have been sold of it via another site. It has created some controversy, with people either loving it or hating it. I had one woman ask, "is that a man or a woman?" I replied, "maybe either or both." She snapped, "I have heard of that type of filth..." I had another man say, "you gays are as bad as the Jews, forever complaining about past events, for f..k sake forget it and move on." The original was created over two years. I had this image in my head for more than ten years before I tried to create it on canvas. This was one of the first paintings I ever did.

DETAILS AND DIMENSIONS
Print:

Giclee on Canvas

Size:

16 W x 12 H x 1.25 D in

Size with Frame:

17.75 W x 13.75 H x 1.25 D in

SHIPPING AND RETURNS
Delivery Time:

Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.

I have sold 11 originals to date, these have been international sales and over 100 prints via Saatchi art and other outlets. My most recent sale was of "The Victorian Gay Scene. This was sold to a collector in New York, USA. I am a 56-year-old gay man from a working-class background, living in Greater Birmingham, UK. I began creating by writing books and screenplays. I turned to painting in 2013 when a 9 year relationship ended. My evenings became lonely so I painted to fill an empty space. I suffer with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Depression and Anxiety, I am also Dyslexic. My disabilities give me the ability to visualize complex images. I paint what I feel about what I see rather than merely what I see. I am telling stories with my paintings. It is for the observer to decide what the story is. It may be different things to different people. It was recently put to me by the buyer of my artwork, The Price of Sugar, that I often (not always) deal with emotive and hard-hitting issues with a touch of humor. I think he is right. I have sold a number of originals. Most recently I sold my oil painting, A Royal Dilemma to a professional collector/ art dealer in Texas, United Sates, via Saatchi Art, also I have sold The Victorian Policeman, via Saatchi Art to a professional collector/ art dealer in Montreal, Canada, and The Price of Sugar, to a professional collector/art dealer in London, UK. I have sold a number of works locally through exhibitions at a nearby stately home and the Art Yard Gallery. I have sold over 100 prints to date to members of the public in the UK, Canada, USA, Australia, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, and France. On Friday 24th February, a collector from Scotland visited my at home and after viewing my work purchased. Adrift, Stonewall 1969 and Rainbow Bird. I am honored by the compliment paid me. I create three types of art. Political, LGBTQ and art that is created just because it is pretty and would look good on a wall. I work in oil paints on canvas board and also work in mixed media. Some of my artwork doesn't really fit into a defined category. It is sculpture on canvas board, using all types of materials, such as, plastic, wood, bark, glitter, fabrics, sand and metal foils. Creation process: 1. I have to create the image in my head as none are copies from other sources such as photos. I may however, take dimensions, such as size relationships from other sources. 2. My work is handmade by me.

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