The Riot Series

These paintings were originally inspired by the London riots in 2011. As riot police gathered outside my studio door and helicopters circled overhead, the electrical energy that I felt in the air was translated directly into my canvases. This resulted in a style that I call the 'scribble paintings', made up of layers of energetic lines of coloured spray paint, incorporating images from the riots.

Since the Arab Spring in 2010, riots continued to take place around the world, and I thought it was the relevant time to show these paintings. A common thread that can be seen in these riots is the individual's resistance and intolerance of government systems or regimes, and of being forced into marginalised economic conditions. These paintings are observations of social unrest and acts of individual defiance.

Jimmy C

Sept 2013