The Tower of Babel is probably my most popular piece on exhibition and I could have sold it several times over. So I thought I’d explore the theme further, and painted this pair today. On the left is the Hillbrow Tower, which features in virtually all my work; on the right is the Brixton Tower, which in many ways is far more graceful and beautiful than its cousin, but has never inspired quite the same adulation by hipsters. The background in both refers obliquely to the concept of the kundalini, as this is an exercise in juxtaposition: lipstick/ concrete, masculine/ feminine, rationality/ emotion.
These are both relatively unusual in that I also used ink, so they are in fact mixed media. Ink is interesting to work with, but unlike lipstick, can’t be written into, so I use it sparingly. Both works will be framed separately. They’re very narrow and, as the framers say, will be perfect for awkward spaces. I’ll offer them either separately or as a matched pair, but hopefully they’ll go to a good home together.