Limerick, Ireland
Colin Darke, A Sharp Slap to the Back of the Head, charcoal wall-drawing, site specific

Colin Darke

b. 1957

The unequal relationship between artist and the art world forms the basis of this piece. The image of myself making a childish gesture of defiance also, paradoxically, signifies surrender. This refers to a practice carried out in gaols in apartheid South Africa as part of the punishment for minor offences by inmates. Political prisoners would receive from the guards a slap on the back of the head and would be expected to laugh, creating a relationship akin to that between parent and naughty child or, more to the point, master and slave. While not equating this with the status of the artist, it stands as a metaphor for the way artistic autonomy can conceal the necessity to conform to the demands of society.

(Text: EV+A 1998 – Circus ZZ)

Back to Artists