Casting solitary animals as the protagonists of his work, Martin Wittfooth (Hi-Fructose Vol. 19 cover artist) paints his own mythology. He prefers to use allegory to speak about contemporary issues humans face instead of apprehending his political ideas in a confrontational manner. In the case of his latest body of work for his upcoming solo show at Corey Helford Gallery, “Empire,” Wittfooth took an interest in exploring the way the idea of “empire” dominates the current world order.
“The show is titled ‘Empire,’ and thematically explores various facets of that notion through a modern-day filter: how the behaviors of modern empires parallel those of history, and the dynamics of power and hierarchy that have always characterized them. Some of the works in the show take an allegorical approach to specific contemporary topics inherently tied up in the idea of the modern empire,” Wittfooth explained. “The term ’empire’ has gotten an arguably bad reputation in the modern world, as history will tell us it suggests notions such as greed, conquest and dominion. Despite the protests of naysayers of the idea that the world of today is still largely in the grip and command of the empirical model, it is hard to ignore the lingering sense that history is simply repeating itself.”
