Take back control

By Jay Rechsteiner 2022

Dimensions
150cm x 182cm

I hereby take back control of my position with the art world. I am an essential, fantastic, amazing and successful artist. I am good at what I do. I love myself, my work and you acrylic paint on newsprint paper (55gsm), masking tape 150cm x 182cm October 2022 part of All About You.

All about You

In an age of publicly sharing opinions on social media and having the need to align oneself with a certain set of opinions, political ideas, etc., it has become rather difficult to truly express what one thinks without risking a backlash of anger, bullying, and humiliation. The capital growth-driven state machineries around the world seem to actively construct and foster a public opinion that supports certain political (power-driven) objectives. 'All about you' aims to show various aspects of this problematic by using a somewhat humoristic usage of language. From spiritual healing, affirmations all the way to submitting artwork to an open call, I explore the relatively complex structure and make-up of the contemporary human mind, as well as a multitude of different realities based on different belief systems.

The work carries a connotation of activism, popular trends, the speed of mass consumption, and hoarding of information. Through the use of printing paper and masking tape, the work embraces the ephemeral nature of material and the longevity of ideas that can be passed down from generation to generation.

In addition, the intentional inclusion of self-portraits poses a crucial layer to this series. By personally engaging with the work through poses, I bring a human element into the narrative, highlighting the intimate connection between the art and the artist. This practice serves as a visual testament to the vulnerability inherent in expressing oneself amidst the complexities of contemporary society.

Although the work carries a strong connotation of activism and (collective and individual) protest, I don't want it to be aligned with such as there would be the risk of it becoming a tool of an ideology or a political movement. Once art becomes such a tool, it ceases to exist as art; it is just a dead hollow husk.