'Memories From the Present' #9: 'As Seen on London Rd', 2021

From 10th September 2021:
A difficult painting I was very close to not sharing.. but, no. [*covers eyes as pressing the "post" button*]🤦🏻‍♂️

What are we looking at here? This is a shorthand to the conversations and frustrations around Covid that we all are way too aware of.

What are the stages in this sign?

• The original sign is placed in position mid-to-late 2020 as the testing centre is put into place.
• The first "HOAX" is spray painted on.
• Someone tries to scratch "HOAX" off leaving a rough HOAX shaped mark behind.
• "HOAX" is sprayed on the sign one more time.
• Then someone writes "100% N̲O̲T̲ A" at the front of it.

The sign, depressingly, sat on London Road pointing towards the testing centre for over 6 months. I can understand why no one replaced it as the same scrawl would just reappear in another form.

At some point around a month ago someone stole the sign. Stole? Yep. The stand for the sign is still around and currently leaning up against a free standing cash machine on the other side of the same road.

So... there we go.
I'm not expecting folk to like this post or painting... at all. It is a representation of parts of our current moment wrapped up in a very discrete and painful image.