Demehin: Using art to drive safeguarding public utilities
While a considerable number of artists present their practice as an attempt to highlight the social and economic issues of today, help marginalized communities, and oppose established systems, others take
While a considerable number of artists present their practice as an attempt to highlight the social and economic issues of today, help marginalized communities, and oppose established systems, others take an extra step and present their practice as an act of resistance. Most artists choose to focus on the visual aspects of urban decay, but Demehin decides to take another step and show erosion and deterioration as processes with their own language.
Multidisciplinary visual artist, Raphael Olabode Demehin, who draws inspiration from his background as a diasporic Nigerian artist, explores the topic of identity and memory in psychologically informed works. At the same time, in Eroded Territories, Demehin addresses the topic of civic infrastructure that undergoes constant changes because of time and neglect.
In contrast with other visual representations of ruins and decay, Demehin's series presents erosion as an active and dynamic process accompanied by a number of phenomena. The artist uses black-and-white format to create compositions that allow focusing on textures and structures that were hard to convey with colors.
One of the most interesting works in the series, called Transit Atlas, features the image of a weathered spherical railing of the public transport facility. The layers of erosion and scarring on the railing make it similar to the contours of continents. In addition, the narrow angle of view makes it possible to pay attention to lines and textures that appear to define the borders of continents. In the same time, the sharp contrasts between the dark background and the white railing represent changes in borders, while the object in the center represents the globe that constantly changes because of time.
While Transit Atlas uses erosion and decay to create imagery and raise philosophical questions, in The Living Rail, Demehin focuses on the impact of neglect on the infrastructure and the ways nature claims its rights. The image of an abandoned railway that is covered in various lichens and mosses creates a unique impression of the railroad as an ecosystem. The narrow depth of field and the emphasis on texture make it possible to analyze the process of erosion more thoroughly. One of the key ideas of the work is the struggle of nature against human constructions and the way time makes the changes happen gradually.
The Living Rail brings up many discussions about the role of humans in the evolution of the world. While other works in the series focus on destruction of structures by the action of various forces, in Sovereign of the Void, Demehin explores the topic of abandonment. More specifically, he shows a cast-iron ornamental figure detached from a chair that is now displayed in isolation. The composition brings up many topics including the role of such an object and changes in perception. In particular, the fact that an object that used to serve a function is now abandoned indicates a problem with urban infrastructure. In addition, the artist decided to display the object in profile that makes it seem like a creature looking at the void around.
Sovereign of the Void differs from other works in the series in its aesthetics. Unlike other compositions that are distinguished by the presence of backgrounds and strong contrasts, in this piece the artist chose to highlight the importance of texture. The presence of rusting, corrosion, and paint marks on the surface of the object made it possible to find the main idea behind the work and its key message.
To conclude, Demehin offers an interesting approach to the exploration of the topic of erosion as an idea and a technique that makes it possible to reveal the secrets of civic infrastructure.
