#415 Long Stick

Filler, oak panel

This work was made using a 5,2-meter long stick. The method is inspired by photos of Henri Matisse who sometimes used long sticks to draw with, both to be able to draw from the bed and to have oversight over large drawings while drawing. I, on the other hand, was instead of facilitating the drawing process, trying to make it physically harder to draw. Because one of the reasons why we sometimes admire children's drawings is that there is a gap between intention and ability which create tension in the drawing, and this method tries to set up the same conditions.

At the same time, the works deal with the crude and harsh nature of language. Signs and symbols always contain categories of meaning rather than the often subjective and specific statements we´re trying to express. It's like shooting mosquitos with cannons. No matter how hard we try to transmit a message to the receiver it always comes out distorted on the other end. And the growing contemporary use of emojis, symbols and predefined responses instead of letters and individually formulated sentences might be easy to use, but perhaps doesn't increase understanding in communication.

The star is a symbol of fame, an entity we might desire, or fantasies to be part of our interactions with others around us. The concept can be more complex than we think if we understand it as recognition. We all need to be recognised for what we are and what we achieve. So the distance between what we mean and what we say when we use this symbol can be great. But on the other hand, things we cannot understand we might better stay silent about, and using a symbol can be a way of speaking without really saying anything. And sometimes that's exactly what we want.