Sex and Violence (updated)

Bride and Groom Lie Hidden for Three Days, Acrylic and debris on Canvas.  

The title of the work is actually the title of a poem by Ted Hughes. Obviously it might have been preferable to make a less direct reference to the poem, but I had the work so clearly in mind while I was making the piece that I couldn't help making that connection explicit for the viewer. I suppose I wanted to subvert the poem's romanticism and introduce a more visceral vocabulary, but the violence implicit throughout might actually have robbed the work of any real beauty and instead could be read as simply another painting about sex and violence. 

 I never intended to create a violent work. The nature of my practice, the methods I use (rollers squeegees, no brushes) and my own choices along the way may give the impression of frenzy, which might be unfortunate given my intentions. For me the piece would be a lot stronger without those connotations and it's a shame that I didn't exercise more restraint or think things through more clearly when I set out. 

  Robert Rauschenberg wanted to drag everyday objects into his paintings in order to create a sense of conflict, which is an idea that I've been really interested in incorporating into my own work and one that has found its way into a number of my previous paintings, but with this piece I felt I could be more confident about the materials I chose to include. I used bin bags, pencil and rubber shaving, sweet packets an old hair clip I found in the street. It is interesting what happens when you use these everyday materials even if, for the most part, no one will ever really know. 

 For me I suppose it allows the work to speak more directly about the world we live in rather then any personal agenda I might have, but then paint is seen as inherently gestural and unlike print generally viewed as a more personal artistic statement.
Over all despite it's obvious flaws and limitations it's not without any merit in terms of my own practice and I hope it represents a step forward for me even if it falls very short in a number of areas.