crown and country

September 24th 2022

Istanbul for me has been a city I've longed to visit. The mix of eastern and western cultures feels like a model of Europe to come. I found that, but the most powerful experience was actually something even more global, the projection of authority through mass media.

It was hard not to sense the spirit of George Orwell when confronted by six storey high billboards with the paternal face of the Turkish president. Turning a corner I'd thought I'd found another only to have discovered a case of art imitating life. Netflix had unnervingly mirrored the style to promote a football documentary series.

The Queen’s death was announced during my stay - you’ll spot a tribute in the set above - and I confess to feeling a sense of loss…not necessarily of her but of the opportunities to document the reaction to it. As I make a habit of tangential connections I realised I’d fallen into a trap of assuming a kind of western liberal superiority. On my return to London I was greeted with a wave of portraits symbolising power, more benevolent perhaps but striking in that it was a throwback to the early days of the pandemic when it felt like every shop window had a public service message.

The role of digital screens from appealing to individual’s aspirations to representing mass emotion is portentous. The future is here.