Taken from a statement for Spike Island Open Studios 2011
The series of black framed collages are also a return to theme. Of the 21 pieces 17 were made mostly this March and early April. They are called ‘The Devil You Know’. Three years ago I was given a piece of map, a coastal section of Tasmania (Australia) and asked to respond, bringing some references to whatever I knew or could glean about the culture and ‘living on an island’. As I work on an island within an island, I sourced and Photoshopped a proportional reference to this area of Bristol and mirrored it with the section of map I was given - plus views of the same from a satellite: in some of the pieces inverting the Euro centric perspective of ‘down under’ by placing Tasmania on top. Regarding my limited cultural knowledge, prominent was a noisy dog-like marsupial called the Tasmanian Devil. Starting with that as my point of departure, I gathered other symbols of ‘devilishness’, both personal and universally Western - focusing on the idea of creativity ‘stirring things up’. There is myself, as jester in cap and bells, sometimes riding the clouds as in a Renaissance painting – the ‘creator’ offering up benediction: or possibly just waving and/or drowning. A range of other players includes, the ‘arch stirrer’, Duchamp, represented by his ‘urinal’ and Gene Simmons in demonic persona. Arial views accrued references to flight and travel – other associations just followed their noses. My original contribution is still touring Australia.
All images are 29 x 29 cm.
Howard Silverman June 2011
The series of black framed collages are also a return to theme. Of the 21 pieces 17 were made mostly this March and early April. They are called ‘The Devil You Know’. Three years ago I was given a piece of map, a coastal section of Tasmania (Australia) and asked to respond, bringing some references to whatever I knew or could glean about the culture and ‘living on an island’. As I work on an island within an island, I sourced and Photoshopped a proportional reference to this area of Bristol and mirrored it with the section of map I was given - plus views of the same from a satellite: in some of the pieces inverting the Euro centric perspective of ‘down under’ by placing Tasmania on top. Regarding my limited cultural knowledge, prominent was a noisy dog-like marsupial called the Tasmanian Devil. Starting with that as my point of departure, I gathered other symbols of ‘devilishness’, both personal and universally Western - focusing on the idea of creativity ‘stirring things up’. There is myself, as jester in cap and bells, sometimes riding the clouds as in a Renaissance painting – the ‘creator’ offering up benediction: or possibly just waving and/or drowning. A range of other players includes, the ‘arch stirrer’, Duchamp, represented by his ‘urinal’ and Gene Simmons in demonic persona. Arial views accrued references to flight and travel – other associations just followed their noses. My original contribution is still touring Australia.
All images are 29 x 29 cm.
Howard Silverman June 2011