As I travelled to Chelsea today I was looking at the graffiti which is pretty much on every available space between East Croydon and Victoria station, I thought about the shop fronts and buildings which have been destroyed and vandalised during the riots, the vehicles which were burned out and the pointless chaos that followed. I suppose what I find most disturbing is the fact that people thoughtlessly destroyed their own environment. What was the purpose of smashing up the windows of family run, local businesses? I remembered an artical I read in the newspaper about how many of the looters were from middle class families, (link below) and imagined the shock they must have experienced when they saw themselves on the news.... I thought about the act of destroying something, can I actually create a painting by an action? For example, if I tried to destroy or vandalise one of my paintings would the action create a painting? The only way to find out is to vandalise my work!
Images of Vandalised Croydon
