Safety First
March 2017
22 x A4 laminated signs
Dimensions: L 380 cm x H 220 cm
This piece involves 22 A4 white signs laminated and stuck onto the wall in array spread across the gallery wall. This piece explores the visual language used for health and safety information and their info-graphics. These health and safety signs use humour to create laughter. The theme of humour has built my practice and fascinates me as it is relatively under-looked in the art world but brings a sudden joy to the viewer as they suddenly realise they are laughing at very serious safety signs. This contradiction, for me, is what makes the work.
The signs are displayed covering the entire wall to create an overwhelming impact, which they are designed to be, to be bold, bright and noticeable. Each poster creates an individual narrative. These narratives build a persona of the person whom has created them. For example, “I’m waaasted” builds a persona of a party animal and of alcohol through a saying, it connects to a persona, a lifestyle, a way of living. These differing compositions collide with one another to create a wall full of signs instructing non-functional information.