Landing in Sydney 1 by Melanie Lazarow in “Opening the Box” Four Point Gallery, Newcastle.
Red-wedge series
My Painting
Although photography is mostly what I do, I am also painting and working on my red wedge series because with all the theory in the world, with all the art in the world, with all the will in the world, with the wonderful uprisings and votes in Greece, Egypt, and the victory of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader in the UK we cannot break the system of starvation and workers submission without organisation from below, and an organisation democratically organised with the best class fighters able to wrench the system apart. My paintings embody that possibility: while the two main classes are in conflict, only one will win. If it is the ruling class, it is the mutual destruction of both classes and possibly life on earth through the destruction of the environment for short term profit. If the working class is able to wedge and pierce, and create a system based on need rather than profit, from each according to his ability, to each according to his (her) need, then we will literally be living in a new universe. My art is about that.
In this particular painting the wedge is a submerged, visible but lying about with my everyday objects that are cut and abstracted. In my non static universe, it will move to a position of better power. We have been in a state of dormancy for so long..coming up for breath with our wedge will be a relief.
Installation 2014