8. Punching Boss
No possible protection
Picture information:
75cm x 200cm, oil on canvas
The story:
Is it possible to protect us from brutality?
The suspended punch bag is harshly exposed to the viewer and a virtual boxer. We can punch
it, kick it, shove it and batter it as much as we like. And my punch bag is constructed in
such a way that it can withstand just about anything. It's even wearing an additional air
cushion for its own protection. The picture is painted in cool shades. Only the apparently
protective air cushion is painted in a warm yellow. In this way the viewer focuses on this
point, thereby directing the virtual bruiser to the same position. The painting captures the
exact moment in which the punch bag begins to change. As a result of the intense battering
it has received, it already has a concave dent and is beginning to drain away.
And the picture's message? It is only seldom that we can truly protect ourselves from external
influences. It represents a modern symbol of our career and working world, as in the work place
we are often at the mercy of our superiors and the "brutality" they may choose to
dish out. It would obviously be much more effective if the punch bag or the employee could
be movable and flexible in order to dodge the blows. However, the chain just holds the punch
bag in the balance and makes no contribution to its active movement. The whole is therefore
poorly designed as it promises safety and security that just doesn't exist in real life.
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