'That's the Spirit!' 1/4 (2024)
detail, 'That's the Spirit!'
detail, 'That's the Spirit!'
Thats the spirit!
Screen print on Fabriano
320 x 480 mm
2024
2 editions available for purchase at R500 each, and an artist's original edition available for R600
"That’s the spirit! is a satirical silkscreen print combining architectural imagery from Syria’s ancient Dead Cities with olive-shaped depictions of RGD-5 hand grenades. The olives reference both the region’s historic olive trade - once central to these cities - and their contemporary symbolism as Martini garnishes, tying in elements of Pop Art and pop culture. It serves as a cultural reference, a geographic anchor to Aleppo, and a bridge between those experiencing war firsthand and those witnessing it from a distance.
Through this visual collision of past and present, the work reflects on human impact, particularly the destruction wrought by war. Structures that have stood for over 1,500 years now face obliteration in the Syrian Civil War. By recontextualizing symbols of leisure and consumption, the work offers a pointed critique on detachment and observation in the face of crisis - serving as both commentary and quiet record-keeping."
