Discover Top Posts Tagged with #working class art

"Smoke Break" . 2025

(note: I was given permission from the subject(s) to post it on my social medias)

#photography #trans photography #lgbt photography #trans art #pulp art #transgender #tropical photography #lgbt americana #americana #trans americana #working class art

The Monobloc Chairs (2024) oil on wood

#oil paintings #oil #painting #art #artist #working class art #queer art #autumn #leaves #my paintings #my work #2024

Was very inspired earlier by the wonderful art on display at the new Mackintosh exhibition in Glasgow St Enoch centre featuring works influenced by and in tribute to Mackintosh by teenagers from several of the city's schools. Featuring art and design pieces using paint, print, sculpture and textiles from 13 to 17 year olds, it was both eye-opening and exciting to see such creative, skilled and ambitious expression from such young artists, and by extension, what young minds and hands in such early stages of their creative practice can achieve when given the time and space to try, and try again, and flourish.

However, it was also a little sad to realise that for many, likely even the vast majority of these budding artists, this stage and this exhibition may well be as far as they go within the form as they are encouraged away from creative expression, due to the ever more strict capitalistic system of education and work requirements we all now live under, and into other more cutthroat and dare I say machinistic endeavours due to the need to provide for themselves and their families - unless they're independently wealthy enough not to have to worry about such small issues. (Which is a whole other issue...!)

As a working-class person I guess it was something I found very striking and emotive as well on multiple levels.

I would in any case though highly recommend it to anyone in Glasgow to nip in and take a look at the work on display in the space, and perhaps feel inspired yourself. It's free entry of course. You can, as well as viewing the works, vote for your favourite piece in two categories which comes with a prize of being displayed on the centre's website. An exposure prize, yes, but in some small way, one which might inspire the successful student to pursue art and reach some of the heights the potentials clearly on show here suggest capacity for, even in their spare time or part time if afraid to, in these socially insecure times, commit fully. (I guess also, on a more negative note, a taster of what rewards many professional artists can look forward to :/)

In the abstract, I'm proud of what's there and to see what young people - from ALL backgrounds - when given the chance and the confidence can achieve. These kinds of projects are in my view exactly the kinds that schools should be taking time for and societies making space for. I was reminded of the maxim of it taking a village to raise a child, well, this was a city actively choosing to similarly, even within a capitalistic haven, give space for something different specifically to uplift and enrich its young people and its community. It’s nice to see. The exhibition is on the ground floor near the Argyle street entrance of the St Enoch shopping centre, and open from now until September 23rd.