2D Painting/Drawing
From Guillotines series
In recent years I have been increasing my focus on the idea of the guillotine.
Its blade as a shape is essentially a flag with the bottom right corner tucked under. It’s a landscape canvas rotated clockwise and missing the rising sun, a portrait with no left elbow, a four-sided shape, a quadrilateral, but not everyone’s favorite rectangle, a shape that is familiar but not quite.
As a weapon it was most famously used during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror to execute those of differing political ideas. It was the Enlightenment’s “more humane approach.” The blade is surrounded by hefty wooden framing and a weight system ensuring the accuracy of the blade. In my images I eliminate those details allowing for the idea that the blade will fall at random.
The guillotine as an artistic symbol began for me during the aftermath of the Covid lockdown when our movements were restricted. We were told where to stand, how to move, how to dress, what healthcare decisions to make, and none of it really mattered because ultimately nothing stopped it. While being herded and hopscotching around in public spaces, I was reminded of the innocent women of history who were led to their beheadings by ambitious political men and bravely walked toward their deaths, accepting in dutiful silence. We moved through our landscapes obediently and it felt like no matter what action we took, agree or disagree, we were similarly ill-fated.
Since that time, the illness is now another daily norm, yet the rising political unrest is what continues to infect a feeling of impending doom. We’ve all felt a certain weight of anxiety about the future, regardless of involvement level in politics or which banner we stand beneath. With the upcoming election stress, we are at an all-time high for panic in our nation and it seems like we are on the brink of violence, awaiting with bated breath the executioner’s axe.
My personal political stance is always going to be private, but the emotion of living in a pressure keg is what I hope to impart upon viewers. The purpose of this series is to embody that sense of recklessness our country is showing in its constant division, teetering on disaster despite the consequence of not finding middle ground. In a land of brilliance and promise I can’t help but feel dismay at the current state of affairs. If cooler heads do not prevail, we may lose them completely.
*It is important to note that this statement and the aligning artwork were created prior to July 13th, 2024.