William Reed
Couch Surfer
acrylic and oil paint on canvas
172 x 217 cm
2023
Couch Surfer, draws inspiration from classic modernist paintings, such as Matisse's rooms with an ocean view in southern France, borrowing elements from Picasso's legendary war painting "Guernica", a cartoonish depiction of 9/11, and a Celine campaign model, who we see painting his/their nails. Portraying the unsettling and tiresome feelings of helplessness, abandonness, and personal desires. In a world full of 9's, be a 10, and watch it crumble.
My artistic practice, rooted in painting and installation, serves as a visceral exploration of the contemporary human condition. It is a reflection on both the desolation of our world and the sanctuary of my own queer imaginative realms. Using Queer as an umbrella term, both for contemporary meaning and also the original meaning of strange, peculiar. Drawing references from art history, the turmoil of contemporary events with the emergent "cli-fi" genre tackling climate fiction, the relentless pursuit of physical perfection epitomized by the 30-day training programs, and the influence of film and television with the allure of cartoons. These references converge to communicate a dense mosaic of visual information, akin to a potent and intoxicating TikTok reel. Provoking visceral responses and resonating with our innate drive to construct and inhabit realms of fantasy, desire, and symbolism.