WELCOME TO
ALPINE MEADOWS
This past year I have had the pleasure of working with Inkstick Media and Bombshelltoe Policy x Art Collective to create my project "Welcome to Alpine Meadows" as part of the Creative Capsule Residency. With the overall goal of promoting Non-proliferation, "Welcome to Alpine Meadows" focuses on the intersection of propaganda, weaponization, and the human psyche.
Alpine Meadows is a theoretical town that serves as an imaginative playground, a place where the absurdity of weaponization is exaggerated and amplified for critical examination. By constructing this town through pieces of fictional propaganda, I aim to provoke thought and encourage a deeper understanding of the consequences that arise from glorifying tools of violence.
The propaganda machine within Alpine Meadows, known as The Department of Romanticization, is a central institution responsible for guiding the political views of the town. I have embraced this role and aim to highlight the seductive nature of propaganda and the potential dangers of its manipulation through paintings, sculptures, and printed media. By engaging with this exhibit, viewers are encouraged to consider the implications of such ideologies in our own reality.
Nuclear weapons serve as a crucial but underlying theme in the creation of Alpine Meadows, subtly implied throughout the propaganda of the town. While not explicitly mentioned, their presence is there, symbolized by the encouraged use of firearms as a means of personal protection. I have drawn parallels between the two and have emphasized the absurdity of relying on deterrence as a means of security, while also bringing light to how these weapons are framed.
Alongside the painting and sculptural work, I have also created a "Maga-Zine" to build upon the world of Alpine Meadows. Through the pages of the "Maga-Zine" viewers can witness the fallout that has occurred from the continued diversion of funds taken from the town and reallocated toward maintaining destructive weapons. I believe it's important to shed light on the reality that nuclear weapons are incredibly destructive even when never detonated.
MAGA-ZINE
By showcasing the ways in which media can frame certain subjects to gather public approval, I hope to encourage critical thinking and foster a deeper understanding of the power dynamics at play.
A photo gallery showcasing the installation of these works at Haymont Studios (Gananoque, ON) can be found below.
12"x30" Acrylic on board $500
36"x48" Oil on Canvas SOLD
30"x40" Charcoal on Canvas $1800
12"x30" Acrylic on board $500
Gallery
For more information about the exhibit and my work within the Creative Capsule residency, you can click here and check out a fun conversation between myself and columnist Molly Hurley at Inkstick Media.