HOT HEAD

Are we boiling over?

Hot Head, 2021
Oil paint, acrylic, wood and carbon fibre
Unique work
H70 x Dia80cm
© Mark Humphrey

“HOT HEAD IS A SELF-PORTRAIT OF HUMANITY CAUGHT BETWEEN OUR TENDENCY TO REACT IMPULSIVELY AND A PLANET WHOSE TEMPERATURE CONTINUES TO RISE. THE BROKEN-OPEN HEAD REVEALS THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF LIFE; EARTH, WATER, AIR AND FIRE – WHILE THE SKULL BEGINS TO FRACTURE AS THE PRESSURE FROM OUR CHANGING WORLD BECOMES HARDER TO CONTAIN.

THE ELEMENTS ENCASE THE WEB-LIKE STRUCTURES OF THE MIND, WHILE THE FRAGILE FORMS WITHIN SUGGEST BOTH THE VULNERABILITY AND POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE HUMAN LIFE. THE HEAD APPEARS TO BE BREAKING APART, YET ITS PRECARIOUS PIECES REMAIN CONNECTED – HANGING ON BY A THREAD. THE HEAD BECOMES A WARNING SYMBOL, BUT ALSO AN INVITATION TO USE INTELLIGENCE AND WISDOM TO RETHINK AND REBUILD HOW WE LIVE.”

Mark Humphrey