Forever divided

 

No arbitration

for such a disagreement

only a win/lose

 

by Scooj

Uncertain times

.

Belief suspended

a day is a long time in

politics, they say.

.

by Scooj

Wish

 

Government will fall

and the people will decide

a better future.

 

by Scooj

1763. Upfest 2018 (57)

The candle has blown out on the European project for the UK and this wonderful piece by Christian Boehmer (Böhmer) a German artist whose work I first saw at Upfest last year and have tracked on Instagram ever since. His trademark is that all the people in his works have paper bags over their heads to play with the idea of anonymity.

Christian Boehmer, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Christian Boehmer, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I still find our national vote to leave Europe deeply embarrassing and depressing and can’t believe what a pig’s ear we are making of it. The ‘Britain first’ narrative does not chime for me. It stinks of arrogance and intolerance – behaviours I and many others dislike. This piece I find quite a poignant reminder of our collective folly.

Christian Boehmer, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Christian Boehmer, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I do like Christian Boehmer’s work and was pleased to have seen his return to Upfest. I rather hope he comes again next year and that I get a chance to meet him.

 

 

Chase the money

 

Ideology

of self-interest and pride

divides a nation

 

no mention of compassion

no mention of partnership.

 

by Scooj

Project fear

 

Dispicable tag

used by bully Brexiteers

to stifle debate.

 

by very angry Scooj

1363. Upfest 2017 (142)

This was most certainly one of the highlights of my Upfest experience last year even before I knew that it was by an artist whose work I admire greatly, Braga Last 1.

Braga Last1, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Braga Last1, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I saw this piece early in its genesis on one of my first circuits around South Street Park, but inspite of Braga being scrawled all over it, the penny hadn’t dropped. It wasn’t until the end of the second day that I was able to see the finished piece and grab a few moments chatting with Braga Last 1, or at least I should say with his girlfriend as he struggled a litle with English.

Braga Last1, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Braga Last1, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The piece is a self-portrait with a crazy bag of stuff in a back pack…but where is he off to? If you take a closer look, this is actually a Brexit piece – there are some clues in the bag.

Braga Last1, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Braga Last1, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

If you look carefully, you can see that in the rucksack is a book ‘Brexit for Dummies’ a brilliant title. What saddens me is that Europeans view our departure as utter folly, and I can’t help agreeing with them. I feel embarrassed and ashamed that our nation voted to leave and I am left feeling closer to the Europeans than to my own countryfolk. I fear an unhealthy legacy for many decades to come.

Braga Last1, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Braga Last1, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Conventional wisdom

 

In the seventies

the country was much greener;

rose-tinted glasses.

 

by Scooj

 

  • A convenient narrative adopted by pro-Brexit campaigners urging a return to the ‘good old days’ before we were told what to do by Europe. The facts rather contradict this romantic notion, and certainly my recollection of growing up in London in the 1970s is not a pleasant one – choking car fumes, filth and litter everywhere and heavily polluted rivers, our countryside didn’t fare much better. What did European regulations ever do for us…? (Habitats Directive, Water Framework Directive, the Birds Directive, Bathing Waters Directive, Air Quality Framework Directive and others).

 

TMay Rex

 

Stubborn, obstinate,

uncompromising, severe,

arrogant old fool.

 

by Scooj

Brexit letter

 

These arrogant fools

have sold us down the river;

hold on to your hat.

 

by Scooj