North Finchley Arts Depot Artist Competition

Here's my submission, Tracey Emin style.

 

This piece entitled “Dear John” plays on a double entendre of the week-end bag we pack for City Breaks to get away from it all versus social unrest. The cities we may visit have all experienced riots. The souvenir patches and other memorabilia we collect during such visits reflect the hidden side of tourism. The title “Dear John” may be heralding bad news rather than the usual postcard bearing a happy message.

“Baby In Babylon” was a title from a song by French singer Serge Gainsbourg. The visual pun is self-evident.

“City Breaks/Gastro-touritis” reveals through the use of colours the term “CS Gas”. It is also a cynical take on the tourist industry which promotes “foodie” tours, regardless of any political historical context.

Both sides bear patches. One of them is “Spring In Cairo”, the visual is a street graffiti found in Cairo during the Arab Spring. The other is an original poster of Jubilee the film by Derek Jarman, which has deeply influenced me. I added “God Save The People” in opposition to the Royal motto.

I collect badges in general and found that a few of them reflected the theme of social unrest.

The rosette is made out of newspaper headlines. The Police Line coupled with “Everything stops for (a cup of tea)” ribbon is an equivalent to the “Keep Calm & Carry On” propaganda posters. The centre of the rosette “Une Saison En Enfer” (A Season In Hell) is the title of French poet Rimbaud’s poem anthology. It’s a direct reference to Rimbaud’s rebel image and critical outlook on life. The rosette is also an allusion to electioneering by MPs who do not respect the will of the people who voted for them in the first place.

The handles and the “Dear John” title are made out of bandages, an inherent consequence of bloody urban conflicts.

The bag has been packed with newspapers instead of holiday clothes. A title pears through the opening (”Early Warning”) in prevision of more strife to come.

Textile, patches, felt and such sewn directly on an everyday object are a direct reminder of Tracey Emin’s art. However, as a textile artist and also a copywriter and political activist, the work is more of a reflection on past, recent and present social events and how they affect me personally.