Having spoken to hundreds of different types of artists over the past 2 decades, it became very apparent to me that an ever present influence for conformity in the world is providing the catalyst for an oppression of creative conduct; with many artists regularly being placed at risk of subjugation through a belittlement of the necessary play involved in experimentative development.
The oppression of play is a an art series of 6 photographs that I created to symbolically represent the inner turmoil that many people are experiencing on a daily basis, as they weight their need for realizing and bringing to life the ideas and energies from within, against the conflicting influences from society.
And yet without such play, we might never have journeyed to Hogwarts with Harry, or felt the energy of Bach or Beethoven, or even Justin Timberlake and many other talented musicians who's experimentation with music has enraptured our hearts.
Nor would Einstein and other scientists have guided humanity's progression through experiments and theoretical ideas into a common understanding of the world that many take for granted every day; with the power of play in fact having a vital role in shaping millions of lives over the millennia, dating right back to the very first cave paintings.Please click the thumbnails below to view:
My colour palette was influenced by Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers and the blues from Pablo Picasso's blue period; with the colours ultimately producing a phantasmagoric oil painting type quality, which I achieved through the usage of portable coloured lighting units.
Within each image the concept of creative thought is symbolised through the placement of giant building blocks. These blocks were actually real life props, as I wanted to maintain a basis of tangible realism, which can often be lost when digital wizardry is used alone.
