throne 2 - piss stained concrete

stained glass window

after a visit to st machar cathedral i came across these stained glass windows depicting the execution of the disciples of christ, despite their gruesome subject matter i couldn't help but be drawn in by the seductive beauty of the medium itself. What really interested me was the subversive nature of the work, although the picture given to you by the artisan is far from pretty, the glass has a quality which allows you simply to ignore the scene of murder on front of you and to see the beauty of the craft. To me, this way of working is very interesting because of the message of your work is explicitly present, but you have to work so see it - in a way it is hidden by our preconceptions of what a stained glass window should be.

To put this work in a contemporary context, 'Glasgow toile' by timorous beasties uses juxtaposition with the traditionally decorative aesthetics of wallpaper and 'real world' imagery to produce a satirical piece which engages the viewer on a level that allows the message to be assimilated, but only after a certain amount of inspection has taken place, meaning that in order to fully understand the meaning of the piece, one must invest some of themselves in the work. another more recent example of this relational art practice is the 'Walthamstow Tapestry' by Grayson Perry which parallels the aesthetic qualities of historic tapestries such as the bayeux tapestry, but incorporates modern day subject matter. in this work Perry paints a sorry picture of the world today and how he feels about living within our society. the work can be read as a depiction of one mans journey through life - beginning with birth and ending in death, but to me the real genius of the work is the 'visual punctuation' of this story. the detailing of the background is superb, informed by the matters of the time - such as the recent economic depression. for instance, Perry has depicted the royal bank of scotland as the watchmen on the ship of fools which is also surrounded by the royal banks ailing competitors, elsewhere Perry chooses to show a plethora of brand images - remarking to our de facto dependance on so called badges of honour. Significantly, Perry muses "its almost like a religious fresco celebrating obscure gods and beliefs" ... to which deities is he referring i wonder? could it be a comment on how we venerate these brands within our consumer culture and that the high street has become our temple?

throne seat