Artwork

One day

2019 Competition entry

Detail
Tags

Leopold Frechow

Details:
Not Signed
Printed photograph
42 x 32 cm
R1 250
Description:
Do we need constraints and rules to fuel creativity or should ever greater freedom be our goal? And if so, what would art look like in a completely free society…

Many artists faced with hostile and restrictive power structures and conflicts, rely on art for a voice to challenge various forms of oppression (such as gender oppression, censorship, racism, nationalism and homophobia). However, people are not always oppressed by cruel tyrants with bad intentions. In many cases, a well-intentioned liberal society can place system-wide constraints on groups and limit their freedom.

Growing up, we are given direct and indirect messages about our values and in many cases the institutions that we interact with as children and adults, such as schools, faith communities, judicial systems, etc. support those values. If we are in a dominant group based on race, gender, class, religion and other identities, we are also getting subtle and not so subtle messages of superiority being the norm that others need to be measured against. These societal rules can become a restrictive structure of forces and barriers that immobilise and reduce a group or category of people. Oppression is when people reduce the potential for others to be fully human.

I wanted to express this by the absence of a model in the dress. There is no photo editing done to remove the model, only a dress moulded to form is used.

Photographic

Outside the wall

Detail
Tags

Leopold Frechow

Details:
Not Signed
Printed photograph
42 x 32 cm
R1 250

Description:
Do we need constraints and rules to fuel creativity or should ever greater freedom be our goal? And if so, what would art look like in a completely free society…

Many artists faced with hostile and restrictive power structures and conflicts, rely on art for a voice to challenge various forms of oppression (such as gender oppression, censorship, racism, nationalism and homophobia). However, people are not always oppressed by cruel tyrants with bad intentions. In many cases, a well-intentioned liberal society can place system-wide constraints on groups and limit their freedom.

Growing up, we are given direct and indirect messages about our values and in many cases the institutions that we interact with as children and adults, such as schools, faith communities, judicial systems, etc. support those values. If we are in a dominant group based on race, gender, class, religion and other identities, we are also getting subtle and not so subtle messages of superiority being the norm that others need to be measured against. These societal rules can become a restrictive structure of forces and barriers that immobilise and reduce a group or category of people. Oppression is when people reduce the potential for others to be fully human.

I wanted to express this by the absence of a model in the dress. There is no photo editing done to remove the model, only a dress moulded to form is used.

Photographic