SAFETY IN NUMBERS

2011, Oil on Linen, 90 x 168cm

This hypothesis states that by being part of a large physical group, an individual is proportionally less likely to be the victim of a mishap, accident or attack.

But not always. During the Cultural Revolution, innocent people were victimised by the mobs who were themselves going along with the consensus in order to avoid scrutiny.

And during the Children Overboard Affair, both the numbers of asylum seekers and the mass weight of the truth were overwhelmed by the strident rhetoric of the prevailing political forces of the day.

This work envisages a day when there will be an altogether more welcoming response to those who seek, in numbers, safety.