THE COMMUNITY OF ART

DOMINIC CARTER

ABOUT

Dominic Carter works primarily in the medium of small sculpture, creating installations and deconstructed objects which explore the intersection between the political and the personal. Documenting these objects with photography and drawing, Dominic layers imagery to create a narrative of intention, process and outcome.

MAJOR WORK 2022
Propaganda, Power & Misdirection

Propaganda, Power & Misdirection: final development stage 4

120x80x40cm

PROPAGANDA, POWER & MISDIRECTION: CONCEPT STATEMENT

My work explores the topics of politics, economics and philosophy, specifically, the philosophies of Karl Marx, V.I. Lenin and Antonio Gramsci, referencing theories of Cultural Hegemony, The Division of Labour and the ongoing class struggle between the oppressed and the oppressor. As the viewer of my work, you are taking the place of a member of the bourgeoisie, staring down upon various intricate, nuanced and unique members of the working class, yet, all these individuals blend into one object, an object to exploit. The use of found objects in my work is the result of a conscious connection to the average person(s), discarded and donated objects reference each nuanced personality inhabiting each singular space in the full work. The structure of the entire work is intended to mimic that of a modern, cheap apartment block, those we see being constructed in places like Wolli Creek, Alexandria, Zetland and Granville. Each box acts as a window into those apartments, a viewpoint into each person(s) personality. The final placement of one white bust in the work will be the representation of the revolutionary, the member of the working class who is not seen as an object to be exploited by the bourgeoisie, but rather an individual to be feared and monitored extremely closely, hence the contrast of colour between the revolutionary and the willing subjects of capital.

Nominated for ArtExpress 2023

1/1

Propaganda, Power & Misdirection: development stage 3

360 degree view

MAJOR WORK: 360 DEGREE VIEW STAGE 3

In stage 4 the finishes of the structure will be refined and additional found objects placed in the base of the work.

Propaganda, Power & Misdirection: development stage 2

MAJOR WORK: BASIC STRUCTURE

Final structure configuration.

Propaganda, Power & Misdirection: development stage 1

MAJOR WORK: CONFIGURATION EXPERIMENTATION

Initial structure configuration.

MAJOR WORK FIRST CONCEPT

Viewing the proletariat as a single organism, separate to the individual, leads to all proletariat being viewed as a homogeneous entity. Taking inspiration from Louise Nevelson's work, I envisage two large walls made up completely of wooden boxes and objects painted on one elevation in matte black. The black wall would be split down the middle with hinges inserted in the split allowing the wall to open and close, alluding to the use of political theory as a mechanism used to benefit the general population. The exterior of this wall/book (corresponding to what would be the outer cover and spine of a book) will be painted off-white, to represent the cover of the original edition of ‘What is to be Done’ by VI Lenin, opening out to the black interior. This interior would have one point of contrast: the figure of The Revolutionary.