Beat Kids Gallery

The world is forever changing. Religion, drugs, music, television, sex & art (to name a few) are all subject to change with each generation at hold. When the gears shift a new power takes control. One thing has stayed the same - mans obsessive need to be dominated and to destroy himself. Dominated and demolished by ritual (religion), lovers (compassion and money) & habits (drugs). Man is his own worst enemy. My gallery’s name (Beat Kids Gallery) and motif is to symbolise our domineering, controlling and self loathing behaviour which is the reason why kids kill kids, why we rape, murder - and defecate on ourselves and each other.  As David Bowie once sang, “A brave son-who gave his life to see the slogan”. This can be taken in both the literal and metaphorical sense.

            My works can be seen as cynical and negative or positive and constructive depending on the viewer. The subjects I choose can be undoubtedly very sombre and drab but the paintings themselves contain vast amounts of colour creating a unique combination of themes which will provoke the viewer to think about (what they perceived as) a negative occurrence, era or symbol in a new view. It is up to the (sub) conscious of the person to distinguish what is being said in the painting, it is not the job of the artist for I have already said everything that has needed to be in the creation itself.

            Occasionally the symbols and subjects I choose may be seen as offensive or provocative, but it isn’t a matter of disrespecting or glorifying anything – it is to make people think, rethink, reconsider and reconstruct their surroundings and beliefs. What is a symbol without meaning? What is a slogan without a symbol? It is what you perceive it to be. Anybody with general knowledge of World War II understands that the fascist regime stole and mutilated most (if not all) symbols they later became associated with. Censoring those images is exactly what the regime desires, arts job is to do the opposite. But our society today is doing the exact same thing, what kind of feelings do you think the Iraq flag symbolises to most of the world today – a symbol for the people and culture of that land, or something more sinister like terrorism and hate? You be the judge.

            Each work of mine and each series is a new attempt at a single motif – the self destructive nature of the human. This is modern, grotesque and free - the old masters have been respectfully pushed aside and here we stand ready to take their place. For the people to move forward we must break down walls that have been constructed for hundreds and thousands of years. Art is jealous.