Outside the Lines

Take 5

The painting reminds me of an urban carnival of some sort, one with many fantastic rides, and many peculiar faces to see… Come one, come all, ride the ferris wheel, right downtown Vancouver! Come see the manic boy fly down the stairs in his wheelchair!! Watch the letter K do a belly dance right before your eyes and witness the superhuman strength of the letter T! Witness the hybrid letter E transform from human to reptile right before your eyes! Watch in amazement as the letter A performs feats of contortion!

Inner City Circus
spraypaint on plywood

These are all themes that I imagine while creating the forms in the painting. I like the forms to be playful in shape, and vibrant in colour. As far as the painting being a self portrait, it has several abstract likenesses to me. I have always considered myself to be each of the letters, in different moods. I decided to minimize the use of the suggested 15 inch square, since the painting is significantly larger in size. The ubiquitous symbol of the wheelchair person (myself) flying down a set of stairs, sets a tone that even the most outrageous acts, (a person flying down the stairs in a chair), can manifest through great determination.

The defiant nature of graffiti art sets the stage for a “disabled” artist to lash out at a society that completely ignores him. Through my artistic expressions I attempt to engage the public in a discussion about public art, while challenging their idea of what a “disabled” person is and is capable of by pushing my own limitations.

Kelly Haydon