Death of Pride
Jul 2019
150 x 210mm
Acrylic on plywood
This was painted from a photograph I took when working as a steward at London Pride 2019. The subject was there as part of a small group who had all dressed up in black and gothic clothing to protest the commercialisation of the event: Pride is a protest, not a marketing opportunity. The subject was kind enough to let me take a photograph of them, which I then turned into a painting.
I did find the same group again the following year along the parade route (This time I was marching with the London Leather Men). We swapped contact details and I made sure they had a copy of the painting to keep!
I love the mysterious, slightly trickster-y feel the image conveys. I don't know if they mean us ill or well, but there's something in the expression that speaks silent volumes to me.