#dadsandsons

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Part of an upcoming series "Travelers" patreon.com/homosomnium

The Bridewell show “Seven” ended today, there are still a few more to show. This was the recently finalised tribute to my dad(and something of a visual apology for how belligerent I often was with him). It’s a miniature Lararium (which was a Roman household shrine to personal protector deities and ancestors). Each home would have different emphases on which holy beings were venerated, in a much more intimate and emotional way than public displays at the state temples. Dad was an old fashioned Scouse working class factory worker. His masculinity was very traditional and very different to my queer punk anarcho sensibility. To define myself against his expectations was often fractious for both of us. Even before I came out I felt I somehow disappointed his expectation. I developed a view of him as authoritarian (which after his death I realised he was very far from and often just hid his feelings as I learned more about him). It felt all too late to have the deeper friendship with him I should have had. Loosing him was so much harder than I could have imagined and I wish I had had just a few more years with him. This shows him, his cigarette case with offerings of matches and rizla. Other offerings are also inside, including a fragment of the True Cross to inform the viewer that this is an altar. Surrounding him are my first Pride badge and photo negatives. I demanded immediate acceptance by t was a lot for him to process and I was not as flexible and compassionate as I should have been. The Blue is Derek Jarman’s blue, from his film exploring his symptoms with AIDS - which were very similar to what dad went through with chemo. I built this at @jezdolan s excellent workshop at the Jarman Protest show. The Blue is actually @culturehustle blue (made from the powdered and blessed bones of Yves Klein, rather than real International Blue or the slow blue delphinium days of Saint Derek). I got to spend some better quality time with him very near the end, it just should have been longer to resolve what I could have to make him proud. Love you dad, wish I’d said it more at the time. #assemblageart #shrine #lararium #offering #pride #dadsandsons #sorry #fatherforgiveme (at Bridewell Studios) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClSOQl6KXG6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

patreon.com/historicdads

patreon.com/historicdads

patreon.com/historicdads

patreon.com/historicdads

patreon.com/historicdads