The Accidental Empires series by painter Matthew Quick investigates the power behind monuments and effectively undermines their seriousness. Well known monuments from around the world are altered with mundane objects such as cell phone tower antennas or clotheslines. However, the simple contrast between the commonplace and monumental is jarring. It undermines the grand stories behind the memorials and questions their purpose. In his statement, Quick says: “The ebb and flow of Empires can be determined by the monuments they leave. Periods of optimism are punctuated by statues that mythologise the success of the enterprise. Times of tragedy are marked by similarly mythologised affirmations of resilience, bravery and triumph over the odds. In time, these myths come to define the events themselves.”
