So I have been going over my 'catalogue' as I have been thinking about a project I started to work on in 2000.
I was looking into the US leasing of a port in Yemen back in 1980 which is where the U.S.S Cole was attacked by a suicide bomber (yes, by 'the Base' people) in 2000. It happened when I was in San Diego, a huge Marines town. I think about 17 people died, one of them was a woman from San Diego.
Even then, there was a palatable sense that not for the death of a local girl, the story would not have been covered-300 million stories in America, why look outside kind of thing-
I started to think about how the events of 1980, the implications of what was then happening (2000) were being felt, like almost the crop, the '80 cuvee was being sampled. When you look at it, the US giving money to the Mujaheddin to fight the Ruskies, terrorist bombings in Europe, Iran being under control of religious leaders (after the fall of the Shah) and Iraq at war (with Iran) All together, 1980 was the first year of the 21st century.
The colour schemes of these paintings are based on my parent's house through the late 70s and mid-80s. The harvest golds, the avacado, shag toliet seat covers-all of it, emblazoned on my mind and those colours are now put to use to depict the coup in Liberia, Naval ships and Royal beheadings in Saudi.
The image is of the newly leased port in Yemen circa 1980, with hints of Dusty Rose-bay window drapes
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