An Artistic Response

I attended a march protesting against austerity in Dublin on Saturday the 9^th and the night before me and my partner decided that we would make our own placards to carry with us. We researched imagery and dived into fuller information concerning the protests both in Ireland and abroad and these were the two images that we came up with.

The first is what I chose to compose. A jaded looking face with his mouth taped over representing for me the challenge of finding your own voice in these large issues and how I can both censor my voice through disowning my power and feel censored by larger institutions attempting to take away my power.

The second image was chosen by my partner Sadhbh. It is of a smiling face, a person who can choose how to be, how to feel. It is composed to represent that choice and that, in the face of overwhelming problems, there is a well inside of us that responds to positive action and not to the type of action that the austerity measures represent.

I was pleased with how they turned out and a little self conscious to be out marching on the streets holding up my own work as a statement. They received a good bit of attention and I was even asked to speak to a documentary crew, which was both fun and scary. I managed it as best I could though and didn't feel completely ridiculous afterwards and apparently I have a great voice for recording. New string to add to my bow, I guess.