"The problem is that they really want me to not like myself, and it's not possible."
SlawnLimited edition
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Who are you calling ugly?
Slawn is best known for cartoonish artworks spray-painted on canvas and beyond. His distinctive scrawl expands into three dimensions as a limited edition sculpture. Ugly Bastard began as a satirical self portrait – equal parts irreverent and introspective. Now, he’s seeking a life of his own.
The figure is crouching – head bowed and gazed lowered like a sleek, modern gargoyle. He is painted in a hypnotic shade, carefully colour-matched to the underbelly of a Magic 8 ball. Look closely, and you’ll see your own reflection.
Slawn1 collaborationSlawn and his spray paints are taking over the world. His cartoonish scrawl has covered cars, expensive watches, planes and even the FA Cup. Appropriation has a double meaning in Slawn’s work. On one level, he’s staking a claim to these luxury objects. By using these objects instead of a canvas, he inscribes his own meaning on them. More controversial is his ‘appropriation’ of racist caricatures. His black characters feature exaggerated red lips, and are often depicted naked or in voyeuristic situations – all borrowed from minstrelsy. The work titles are also just as provocative e.g. The Irony of a Nigerian Policeman (a nod to Basquiat). Slawn questions how an image is able to elicit such a negative emotional response in the first place – “I just want to get to a place where people feel comfortable with stuff that’s taboo.”
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