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The Red and the Black Published by Coriander Studio 2009
The title refers to both the Stendhal novel La Rouge et le Noir, about a man's attempt to rise socially beyond his modest upbringing by a combination of talent, deception and hypocrisy, and the similar behaviour of the greedy financiers who control and determine the state of and colour of our bank accounts. The image is a commentary on the chicanery in the world of finance that led to a global recession. The composition is divided into a chequerboard of red and black numbered squares, reminiscent of the betting squares on a roulette table, and hinting at the gamble we all take when we invest or even deposit our money in banks. The squares are randomly numbered and contain the arithmetical symbols plus four currencies reflecting the global nature of economics. At the centre of the image is a large zero, often the result of naive manipulation of the symbols and currencies. The underlying text is another A to Z of financial phrases ranging from appropriated assets, through mortgaged morality until finally reaching a zillion zeros. The image is finished with a gloss vanish that reads "Russian Roulette". 'The Red and the Black' is a signed limited edition digital print finished with a silk-screen printed satin protection varnish and an Ultra Violet gloss varnish text printed inside the large zero. The Red and the Black is a first generation original print, which only exists in this form. |
Prints from 2009
