‘Belonging’
I think everyone probably wants to belong to a group of some kind. No one really wants to be an ‘outsider’.
Some kind of group identity or community:
A book clubs, residents associations, cricket teams, mothers and todlers, gangs, Star Trek, even online artist forum such as this. All communities of some kind, with shared experiences. Everyone wants to belong and be part of some kind of group.
Is this what Identity means?
As an artist I have been constantly asked to foster identity, represent, give a voice to and strengthen communities.
Why?
A role I was reluctant to accept at first, having trained as an abstract painter I didnt think it should be artists who had to wallpaper over the cracks in society.
Now I see it as adding to the social fabric of our society. Something all art forms have always done anyway.
I was the outsider, so I climbed down from the ivory tower I had started to build and met people.
