In June 2020, George Floyd was murdered on the street by police in the USA. Having spent weeks I lockdown, trapped at home and social distancing when not, the overwhelming emotional response from the public sparked protest marches around the world. This painting entitled 'You Can't Lock Us Down' was my response to that moment. I shared the image on Facebook and have had a flood of positive responses, thanks to everybody who sent me a message or clicked like. For me, the inspiration for this image was not the heinous act of inhumanity itself, but the life-affirming public response, hence the sense of colour and vibrancy. Grey (ImmortalArtist.com), who is chronicling The Black Lives Matter movement through art, contacted me to ask if they could place my picture in his archive. I was honoured to be asked and delighted to give permission. If you'd like to explore the archive click here.
'You Can't Lock Us Down' is simple acrylic on cardboard, which just goes to show you don't need any fancy materials to paint something meaningful. Art, like music and drama, isn't a closed shop. We can all have a go and find new ways to express ourselves in these turbulent times. So while The Dial Up is on hiatus I do hope you're managing to keep our philosophy of celebrating community and creativity alive in whatever way is meaningful to you. Stay safe, stay kind, and as ever, much love!
-Alexander Williams 15/6/20
You Can't Lock Us Down: From Start to Finish!
Covers
I create the artwork for most of my book covers. Here's a selection:
Terrific
ReplyDeleteI love the way you chronicle the progress of the painting. It mirrors to a certain extent how the numbers involved in the movement gradually populated the streets to the point where we are now with many organisations unilaterally making big changes in what has become an ongoing “conversation “ on issues related to race. A triumph of art’s commentary on real life.
Thank you! xx
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