Indigo, Restoring voices, #Dementia #contemporaryart @plasticp1 #trade #history #colonialism @alzheimersoc

Thursday 12 May 2016

She walks slowly into the Leith without a boatman to guide her swiftly across
Oil, indigo, sugar  on canvas 1mx1m
work in progress


resistance viewd from the side
work in progress
So I am working on these pieces building up layers of pigment and darkness dealing with stories from the trade in indigo and sugar and in particular how it was bound up with slavery and forced labour. I am working at making beautiful images to draw you into disturbing stories.  The grief of these stories have an echo, in Padma's life.  She is old enough to have been born and schooled in Colonial times. And shadowing how imperial stories are cleaned up, to present shiny romantic images for consumer culture her memory is being washed away by her dementia.  She is walking so slowly into the River Leith without a boatman to take her quickly across.  And she does look back searching, but there is only one direction to go; deeper, she cannot return.
Resistance
oil indigo and sugar on canvas 1mx1m
work in progress



Last of the 10
oil indigo sugar on canvas 1mx1m

work in progress,

 I owe a debt to Turner

And I find myself exploring voices dead or fading, important to remember.

Olaudah 1

Oh Louder



Olaudah 3


Olaudah 2













I am also working on some 3D pieces called Mr Equiano's Scales, and Indigo Rebellion.






Last few days of the Plastic Propaganda exhibition at Devon House: Open until the 15th May 4pm.


And all this work has left me little time for getting to the market.


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