Murtaza Murad Artist Statement
Being intrigued with the notion of existentialism and the afterlife through the depictions of artists and media has led to the evolution of my practice. Plato’s philosophical allegory of the cave is an ancient analogy which resonates with me. The concept encompasses a situation in which shadows cast inside a cave become the only source of what primitive humans viewed as their reality. One who wishes to remain a prisoner will never take the “red pill” and accept the bittersweet truth.
“Viral Reality” explored unpleasant truths in the political realm we are inclined to ignore. I combined my largest surreal painting to date with a controversial edit of one of my favourite songs "All In My Head" by Tori Kelly. The sonic codes and conventions I was stimulating were those of a standard acoustic break up song. Sung in contemporary RnB and Jazz influenced styles, I utilised elements of surprise and humour in the lyrics. My additional lyrics and message became interwoven and initially somewhat hidden within the song. Leon Festinger’s concept of cognitive dissonance centres on how we as people seek to gain internal stability. One who faces a paradox tends to become uncomfortable psychologically and as a reaction attempts to reduce this dissonance.
The jilted lover protagonist singing “was it real or was it all in my head” exhibits classic signs of cognitive dissonance as they are continually refusing to accept their own unpleasant truth. I yearned to make the audience feel unsettled with the use of my seemingly random interjections of lyrics. I had written my edit of this song in the first month of Donald Trump’s presidency and it echoes the worries many maintain to this day surrounding his character, demeanour and leadership. Through subtlety, the aim of the performance was to achieve a response from any members of the public and start a political dialogue about a man who at first nobody took seriously as a political candidate. Within the painting “Ephemeral Home” there is phallic imagery and the red swirls connote the blood of the working class. Paintings are a medium that allow visual depth to create intricate life size dystopias.
With “Plugged In” the intention was to personify the daily anxiety of being watched through electronic devices. Xkeyscore is a formerly top secret CIA program which analyses global internet data, after the unveiling of its creation we can almost guarantee that someone is watching our every move. One can stare into the irises and notice that there are lenses inside, you may believe you hold all the power with the surging wifi running through your device, but big brother is watching you. The post-human millennial is depicted to be too consumed with tasks of everyday life and technology to notice or even care.
The ring on one of the illustrated hands has lenses within the central eye, evoking the appearance of diamonds. The oozing viscous blood from the hand connotes the sinister reality of the corruption and humans rights abuses synonymous with the “blood diamond” industry.
The final degree show piece will be a performance and painting combination yet again. The visual imagery of the two paintings will highlight aspects of the lyrics in the song and aims to serve as a suitable backdrop.