Past Work

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My solo exhibition titled “For Whom The Bell Tolls” addressed the origins behind the folklore, church burning, murder and semiotics of Black Metal music as a means to explore binary opposition. Black Metal was originally a Norwegian youth revolt against the socially accepted merger of church and state. From its origins Black Metal has positioned itself against dominant (Christian) ideologies through sounds and images of resistance and rage. These youth felt Christianity had uprooted their traditional Nordic Pagan beliefs. Black metal as a subculture was an ideal starting point, as the social structure itself is an inversion of Christianity both ideologically and symbolically. The most recognizable symbol of this movement is the upside down cross. From that I wondered if a symbol is inverted does it therefore become the antithesis of its intended meaning? Working this thesis in the opposite direction shows that if a Black Metal band can inspire mayhem, that same cultural mythology can, through an inversion of context, provoke a contemplation that oscillates through cultural signifiers of beauty and cruelty.