1xRUN Thru Interview
The Ghost Of Gold by gilf!
1xRun: Tell us a little bit about this original piece? Is it still for sale? How much was the original? What materials were used on the original and the print? How long did this piece take from start to finish?
gilf!: I created The Ghost Of Gold in January 2013, and the original piece depicts two different layers of text on a deep blue background. The lettering within the zigzag lines represent a concept believed to be true and real by the average citizen. The clearer, second layer, buried behind the hypnotic lines of the zigzags challenges the concept in the foreground. The original painting is 3 layers of stenciled spray paint on dibond, the prints are on 140# French MuscleTone Pure White Archival paper. The piece took about a month from concept to the finished piece.
Being told day in and day out that we live in a functioning democracy couldn’t be further from my understanding of the truth. When you pass laws that put the financial integrity of our elections in the hands of the highest bidder (Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, 2010) you no longer have politicians representing their constituents, but larger than life donors.When you pass laws that give a chemical company like Monsanto carte blanche to manipulate and experiment with our food supply without regulation (Monsanto Protection Act, 2013) you risk the health of our entire nation. The Monsanto Protection Act is a direct result from the Citizen’s United ruling. This diversion of representation from the people to corporations is a stark example of how we as a nation have moved past a system with checks and balances into a dysfunctional post democratic order. The original is still up for grabs at $2500.
1xRun: Do you want to touch on the show this piece was a part of?
gilf!: I created The Ghost of Gold for I EXAM, my first solo show with Arcilesi Homberg Fine Art. The show was built to provoke the viewer to see beyond the distractions of the syndicated voices of our society like advertising, the “news”, and other forms of deceptive or one sided media. It challenges our inclination to blindly accept societal norms, rousing the viewer to wake from the comfort of that hypnotic state to embody reality in its most authentic form.
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
gilf!: I’ve always focused on highly graphic styles of communication. Recently I have become fascinated with our means of perception and how we subconsciously absorb information from major news and media outlets, how we store that information, and how it affects us. This hypnotic diversion of text has been something I’ve wanted to explore for months- it’s been a real lesson in understanding how to convey a message that has an underlying message while being purposely disorienting on the surface.
1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
gilf!: It represents a significant pivot in my creative practice. I constantly need to challenge myself, and thus my viewers. It is a strong example of where my work is headed.
1xRun: Why should people buy this print?
gilf!: So I can continue to challenge society, something that I feel is lacking in our modern times.
1xRun: Describe this piece in one gut reaction word.
gilf!: Perception.
1xRun: You’ve been super busy the past few months, can you bring us up to speed on what you’ve been up to lately? Any big plans for the rest of the year?
gilf!: Lots of traveling, murals, and shows. My wanderlust has been getting the better of me! There’s nothing I can share quite yet, but I definitely have some exciting tricks up my sleeves!
1xRun: Where else can people find you?
gilf!: Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram
-1xRUN