Dauda

Consumed is a subject very near and not so dear to my heart. In fact it concerns me a great deal that I am ‘consumed’ by consumerism. I have a weakness for a slick stylized marketing campaign and the must-have product attached to it. If that was the sum of my affliction I might not be so concerned about my obsession. However it goes a little deeper than that. This series is about the internal struggle I face with consumerism, my role and its effect on my life and the lives of people I choose to connect with and the global effect and real world issues that consumerism and my support of it plays. I long for and desperately search for simplicity that rejecting consumerism could provide – however I’m consumed by seduction, attention, anticipation, curiosity, resignation, push, rush, resignation and the leisure associated with consumerism – the result of our ever accelerating lifestyle.

In creating the series I wanted to create a feeling of a ‘packaged’ good. The art work and subsequent message had to be contained in a slick and seductive clear coating to hold the consumer’s attention long enough too deliver the message. I further explored this idea by adding a foil ribbon to create a shrink wrapped look and feel. This series is far from complete. I plan on further exploring and studying the subject and how it relates to my experiences you could say I’m too consumed to let it go.

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Wired

Gregory — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:38:22 +0000

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The Birth of an Idea came to me as a way for me to articulate my feelings of frustration surrounding a large project I was working towards. I was feeling something close to anger over having to wait on other individuals, my own schedule and the universe itself. I was sketching out the series to a friend while explaining that the situation in question felt like hatching an egg. The source of my frustration had several parts, players and elements involved, in creating the series I decided to incorporate various mixed media such as oil paints and oil pastels, feathers, spray paint, pen & ink as well as epoxy resin. The layering of these elements served as an allegory to the events of my frustration and subsequent acceptance of the need to apply patience in order to ‘birth creativity and achieve my dreams.

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Resin and mixed media on wood panel (2012)

This series explores the various stages of social acceptance.

About almost fitting in, a personal exploration of wanting, then not wanting and then wanting more-than-ever to belong.

The need to feel accepted that occupied a majority of my youth, has manifested into various forms of anxiety throughout my adulthood. I’m more aware of these moments “while in the moment” As I focus on accepting myself first.

Why birds?

Birds have always fascinated AND scared the crap out of me. One on one I’m good – as a group its a completely different story.

Using birds to illustrate my struggle was an obvious choice. More than just as a metaphor to represent society, birds are nature’s ultimate clique, and could just as easily be seen as a metaphor for loneliness and fear of abandonment.

Dreams

Gregory — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 20:29:31 +0000

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Illustrative African figures interacting with their dreams depicted as a red balloon set against a blue sky - Oil on canvas painting.

Frozen

Gregory — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 22:39:59 +0000

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This series explores the art of being stuck – frozen in thought, refusing to move past a memory, anchored in time. Whether its a shining moment or the cause of much heartache this past action prevents forward movement. Here I sit frozen waiting on the spring thaw of emotion.

While researching on this topic I was part of some deep and moving discussions.

Someone very dear shared this letter it is poignant and sweetly profound:

“…Please understand that we all go thorough chanlleges in life. We just have to have faith and patience to deal with them. These chanleges do not stay forever. Nothing in life is permanent even life itself dies one day. Suffering and happiness come and go. Remember we can not live in the past or in the future.Today is yesterday’s tomorrow and today is also tomorrow’s yesterday. Only time and place to enjoy life is now or present. We can not go back change the past or do anything in the future. Anything in life we can do is today or now.

xox…”

Frozen is about being emotionally stuck; waiting on the spring thaw of emotion.

IFRAME Embed for Youtube

Discovered

Gregory — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 02:29:08 +0000

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Discovered, Mixed Media (2011) by visual artist Michel Dauda

I photographed the ‘African Man’ sculpture against a white backdrop,then created and scanned my ‘Tribal Stick Figures’. Through Photoshop I positioned both the African Man sculpture and Tribal figures in various poses to illustrate the relationship with both entities.