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More lockdown introspection. Pre-COVID the term LOCKDOWN was beloved of cliched scriptwriters, lazy journalists and politicians and I hated it. Spawned in Hollywood action movies it is akin to saying “take him out” instead of “murder him”, it is pure jargon. Then suddenly the media was using it whenever it got the chance. “Oxford Street is in LOCKDOWN tonight after shots were heard…etc” when what was really usually happening was chaos, panic and fear with nothing locked down at all, whatever locked down fucking means any way. It seems to me it now means all socially minded people look out for each other and all ignorant selfish bastards carry on as usual, especially joggers. Personally I have managed ok having been practicing the avoidance of most other people all my life.

Anyway, this needs a bit more work on the left arm (Although as its a reflection its my right arm, tho my left arm is noticeably smaller from years of stone masonry, something I noticed when using my body as a temple for recent stone sculptures). The perspective is odd because I was sitting in front of the mirror (an old dresser mirror from my Dads house that was only on my work table because it needs mending) at a right angle to it. Now it has to be viewed from beneath for the proportions to work. I started by using the masking tape like clay, tearing off little bits and starting on the nose but soon got bored and worked more generally and quickly.

Turned it over and coated the back of the figure with carbon mixed with fixative. Flipped it and drew compressed carbon down over the background then rubbed in with fingers leaving slits of light like gaps between curtains. I seem to like these openings in my work, thresholds, windows, doors. They are like border crossings. Data or matter passes through. Here they seem vaginal.

Then I place thick tracing paper over the sculpture and rubbed over with compressed charcoal.

I enjoy ripping up shreds of masking tape – when using it for what it was intended there is something peculiarly irritating about it, or any type of tape, when it tears along its length instead of across.