April 11, 2019
Yesterday I wrote about how certain kinds of clothing signal political beliefs or status. I was particularly grateful to the many of you who emailed in with their own experience of the kinds I described. Lifts the isolation.
Today I want to share a wonderfully mischievous artist’s work, using clothing and other props to skewer political beliefs and/or stereotypes.
Sarah Maple is a young British artist of mixed Islamic descent who has been a rising star.
She had her first solo exhibit in NYC this February, and has received numerous awards and commissions for specific purposes. Her art is daring (she receives regular threats and people throw bricks through her gallery windows etc.) and insightful.
I especially like how she is not fixed on a particular topic, say skewering gender stereotypes, or racism, or nationalism, or – well, you get the idea. She processes what is happening all around her with her art, in paintings, photography, mixed media installations and films. The fun she seems to be having with putting her ideas into image simply oozes out of every picture.
I am posting images of an early (2011) series that looked at the contrast between the dreams little girls (are encouraged to) pursue, dreams about the existence as a princess, preferably a Disney one, and the kind of professions that regularly exclude women. Hanker over that mermaid dress, and never mind that a little bit more self confidence could have you excel in the sciences…. I applaud the playfulness mixed with an understanding of the seriousness of the topic.
But I encourage you to check out her series about Brexit here, it drips with sarcasm: https://www.sarahmaple.com/paintings-2#/brexit/
Note, no complicated articles to read today! I’m too tired to find them as you probably are to read them.
I will, however, add to Maple’s clever work some photographs about abandoned props found by the wayside. And speaking of which: I am signing off to go on a little road trip. Communications will be intermittent, but will give you a chance to travel vicariously!
Appropriate music today, since I have no clue how people always get these insanely clever ideas, are some Enigma Variations….. composer Elgar being, of course, Maple’s Landsmann.
