Artist Statement

My work focusses on documenting the political landscape under contemporary capitalism and its effects on the general working class, often in relation to theories surrounding cultural hegemony according to Italian Marxist theorist Antonio Gramsci, as well as the writings of Franco ‘Bifo’ Berardi. Gramsci’s work states that the domination of workers by the ruling class, is done deliberately, through social and economic institutions, whilst Bifo talks about the consequences of Capitalism whilst stating that “the future can only mean decay”. I believe it vital to make work about what is happening now so that key events are not lost and forgotten about, but instead represented through printmaking and other art forms from a working-class point of view. 

My current practice highlights elements of cultural hegemony from sources such as the media as well as my own experiences of labour and combines them with elements of physical decay through a use of found materials and imagery. In more recent prints such as 'Fear the Alternative Worse' and 'Monday Bad or Genuine Ill?', I then transfer these images onto metal plates before etching them in acid. This process is a way of creating prints by eroding or decaying materials which supports the subject matter within them. By using steel, I can connect my previous experiences of working as a welder, with my current practice which is heavily influenced by that period.