January 2015. In a year that has already seen terrorist attacks and a global shock at the crises, i fear for the future of our country, our civilisation... man as a race. Integration, intimidation, desegregation, immigration, soft governments, streets on which people are murdered and no one takes action and no interest in the common good of humanity; did we ever think that thing would go this far?
These collages were inspired by two things; firstly my love of Ladybird books and specifically the title ‘Stone Age Man in Britain’ which beautifully illustrates the pioneers, the architects, the builders and the beginnings of our now disastrous civilisation. Juxtaposed with these romantic images are modern man; the intellectuals, the clever anoraks, the silent enthusiasts, the builders of models and model villages, of train sets and Airfix aircraft; a need to tap into a boyhood memory perhaps, to once more go through that low door in the wall or the need to create a world from which to escape the monotony of their own existence. These images are simple to understand, poignant and direct - ridiculous and subtle. The text has been taken directly from the Ladybird book; simple editing changes meaning and narrative, obviously now read as a statement to contemporary man – the entrepreneur, the Hoodie, the politician or the Man of God.
Mark S. Masters