PURE OBSESSION

2010, Oil on Linen, 112 x 112cm

A consequence of obsession is the disintegration of the necessary barriers that define reality and fantasy. And to varying degrees we all suffer from this affliction. For some it can be relatively benign, such as an infatuation with work or sport. For others it is more complicated, with lives dedicated to the fanatical pursuit of religion, politics, alcohol and drugs etc. 

It is also a commodity capable of commercialisation. Some demagogues, spiritual claimants and manufacturers have recognised that obsessive behaviour is inextricably linked with addiction and as such, can be exploited for profit. The result is an ever expanding catalogue of practices, cults and consumables that deliver the opiate-like fix required by the obsessive.

A consequence of obsession is the disintegration of the necessary barriers that define reality and fantasy. And to varying degrees we all suffer from this affliction. For some it can be relatively benign, such as an infatuation with work or sport. For others it is more complicated, with lives dedicated to the fanatical pursuit of religion, politics, alcohol and drugs etc. 

It is also a commodity capable of commercialisation. Some demagogues, spiritual claimants and manufacturers have recognised that obsessive behaviour is inextricably linked with addiction and as such, can be exploited for profit. The result is an ever expanding catalogue of practices, cults and consumables that deliver the opiate-like fix required by the obsessive.