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Journey from Christiania to Christiansborg SlotspladsI borrowed a trailer and some scaffolding from the Freetown Christiania and made my way towards Copenhagen centre to paint Live outside the Danish Parliament.
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Assembling the ScaffoldingI had not specifically asked for permission, but was advised by the Peace Demonstration coordinator to just do it - that there was positivity towards art from Christiansborg.
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Plan of actionThe painting I was going to make was a result of increased negativity towards muslims after the Copenhagen shootings on 14th Feb. I chose the story of how the sun and the wind competed to get a man to take his coat off, because it reminds us that gentle love is a more effective response than hateful force.
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The Sun and Wind processThe circle was the only thing I painted at the studio due to the fact it was going to be very difficult to create on a corrigated surface.
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The Sun outlineFrom a frontal view you can see how the circle looks. It is wider at the far end to account for perspective and forshortening.
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Freezing coldThe day I started this painting was so cold that it snowed. There were strong gusts of wind too, so I started with the 'wind' image.
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Behind the maskBehind that mask I was close to tears because it was so cold and because the wind was so unforgiving.
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WindI was battling to get any kind of image made within the first day because I was not yet sure whether I'd be allowed to keep my painting there overnight. That is why I wrote Law above the cloud painting and Love above the Sun - it roughly summerized the message.
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Sun formingI photographed my own face for the wind and sun pictures.
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Sun smilingThe face is starting to form as night sets in on the 21st march. Brrr
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Bottles of acrylic paint
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Chilled by the WindAccording to the story, the wind only causes the man to pull his coat even tighter.
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Warmed by the sunThe colours I've chosen for this man's clothes relate to relevant flags in the question of world unrest.
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Full frontal viewThis painting looks crazy from the front because of the blending of the two paintings.
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The sun has taken shapeThe morol of the story is that the sun causes the man to take his coat off freely the way that love can conquer greater battles than heartless force can.
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Christiansborg SlotHere is the evidence that I was indeed painting outside the Parliament.
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MaskedI wore a mask firstly to link my activity to the demonstration I made outside Den Frie Exhibition during its Opening. The mask heightens curiosity, It also makes me more annonymous. I like that this could make my artwork less about where I come from or look like, and more about the statement.
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Inner sunshineI was wearing my cycle jacket under my boiler-suit. It was like inner sunshine.
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Frontal View
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Sun detail
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Somalian RefugeesI met a group of asylum-seekers from Somalia while painting the first painting.
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Somalian RefugeesOne of the banners they bore said "Nothing worse than Dying Emotionally and Mentally". That struck me and inspired my next painting
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Somalians with BannerSomalian demonstrators joined me next to my painting of the cloud
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Somalian RefugeesThey were very pleasant and said they just wanted to ask the governement for help and were willing to work. Now Lars Lykke is making it sound like refugees need forced into work. Not the case. They want to do something.
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Art as DialogueI have met very many people while painting in front of the Parliament. Some I talk to for minutes. Some I talk to for hours. This photograph is by a press photographer who happened to be passing by. http://www.ehbrecht.dk/
Photograph: John Ehbrecht -
Leah Robb at workI am painting the right side of the painting with red paint but because this is photographed from the left, you can't see the red surface.
Photograph: John Ehbrecht -
Heavy cloud decendingDepicting the death of a brain and a heart is tricky. I have used a cloud full of crosses decending on the brain and making its way to the heart. This is the feeling described by the Somalian refugees
Photograph: John Ehbrecht -
Burdens?As a contrast to the feelings portrayed by the refugees, I have created an image of an annonymous, faceless figure. Coins are being thrown down from Christiansborg Slot into its open mouth implying the apparent waste of resources. I have added a question mark.
Photograph: John Ehbrecht -
The Sun and Wind from leftMarch - June 2015
Acrylic on corrigated roofing
210x95cm
These paintings were completely painted Live outside the Danish Parliament and have been permitted to remain there from 21st March till 10th June 2015 so far. It is quite exciting.
£1000/10,000kr -
The Sun and Wind from rightMarch - June 2015
Acrylic on corrigated roofing
210x95cm
The Danish Queen's birthday was filmed from here and my paintings were just shifted, not removed. Since then TV2 have built a temporary studio and there have been street parties around this area and still no human damage or confiscation. This is a good sign.
£1000/10,000kr